Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park |
|
|---|---|
 Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park
Location in Florida
|
|
| Location | Citrus County, Florida, United States |
| Nearest city | Homosassa Springs, Florida |
| Governing body | Florida Department of Environmental Protection |
Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park is a special place near Homosassa Springs, Florida, in the United States. It is one of the best spots in Florida to see amazing manatees up close. Visitors can watch these gentle giants from a cool floating observatory.
The park is also home to many other Florida animals. You might spot black bears, bobcats, white-tailed deer, American alligators, and river otters. A very famous resident is Lu the hippopotamus, known for being in movies for over 40 years! The park's full name is Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. It honors Elmyra Felburn Schiller, who helped the Florida state park system a lot.
Park History
Native Americans lived around Homosassa Springs long ago. Later, other Native American groups like the Seminoles and Miccosukee settled here.
People have been visiting these beautiful springs for a very long time. Records show that tourism started way back in the 1880s. In the 1920s, the park grew with new buildings. There was even a public swimming area at the spring. The 1940s brought more changes. This included building the first underwater observatory. It was a metal tank with small windows to see the fish.
Meet Lu the Hippo!
Lu is a very special hippopotamus at the park. He is the oldest hippo in all of North America! Lu was born at the San Diego Zoo on January 26, 1960. He is the only animal at the park that is not originally from Florida.
Lu is quite famous because he appeared in TV shows. You might have seen him in Daktari or Cowboy in Africa. He has lived happily at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park since 1964.
Gallery
