Sneak peek look at Gatorland's 4th annual Christmas extravaganza
ORLANDO, Fla. - The holidays aren’t just for humans in Gatorland. At the park, animals have just as much fun getting into the Christmas spirit.
Starting Saturday, Dec. 2, the entire park will take on a new look and have unique holiday experiences for the whole family to enjoy. FOX 35 got an exclusive look at the festive fun before the event will open to the public.
One reptile ready for Christmas is Cheesecake, the albino alligator, who gives a whole new meaning to a white Christmas. She was already caught sneaking out of a Christmas stocking, and more appearances are expected. The feisty and festive one-year-old albino alligator will interact with guests at Gatorland's holiday event, and she isn't the only one getting in on the holiday fun.
Nearby, Yuma the panther was spotted pouncing on an early Christmas present. The gift that had him going wild? A carrot.
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"We do all kinds of enrichment here, and we love to do holiday-themed enrichment," said Danielle Lucas who’s the animal care director at Gatorland.
Lucas says daily enrichment helps the animals stay active and curious, and holidays add another layer of fun.
"It kind of brings out their natural instinct to tear things up, dive into it, have fun, and it’s just a physical stimuli for these guys," she added.
Another stimulant for animals (and humans) during the holidays is food! While most people usually don’t want animals to eat their Christmas trees, during the festive month, capybara’s are enjoying delicacies in the shape of a Christmas tree.
Capybara’s are the world’s largest rodent, and we discovered Mochi, Boba, Latte and Chai are always up for a snack. You can sign up to interact with the friendly rodents, too.
The animals aren't the only ones getting into the holiday spirit. The Christmas craze comes to life with unique characters gearing up for their big debut at Gatorland’s Holiday Ho Ho Ho Down.
"We have some awesome characters we’re going to have out and about," exclaimed Brandon Fisher who’s the director of media productions at Gatorland.
Some of the characters guests will see are Skunk Ape and the Christmas Caroler who sing holiday classics together. There’s also Gator Claus, on his huge sleigh being pulled by gators. For anyone on the on the naughty list, Krampus Croc is also making an appearance.
"On top of the characters, we have some outside vendors that are coming and arts and crafts and food, and we just have a good time," said Fisher.
This is the fourth year for Gatorland’s Christmas event where animals and visitors enjoy unique Christmas encounters because, in Gatorland, holidays are for everyone and every species.
"We really hope everyone enjoys it this year," Fisher concluded.
The special holiday event starts Saturday Dec. 2 and will run consecutively every weekend until Dec. 17. You can learn more about the event and what Gatorland offers by clicking HERE.