Otters at OKW this morning

[JimMIA]

Hey JimMIA...when my DH and I went on the Disney horseback ride out of Fort Wilderness two years ago, the trail wrangler told us more than once a panther had leaped out across the trail and scared the tar out of the horses/riders. As a horse owner, having a panther whiz out in front of your horse is second in horror only to having it actually jump ON your horse. So unless this was just trail wrangler folklore, you're probably right in your guess about the panthers around WDW!

Sounds like wrangler lore to me. Panthers are very reclusive. It could have been a bobcat, but I have big trouble imagining a bobcat doing that either.

With the panthers, I know that about 6-7 years ago a female panther with a radio collar was tracked from Everglades and Big Cypress up to and across I-4. She went across to the north, back to the south, then back across north of I-4, and then the darn battery on the radio collar went dead! She hasn't shown up back home in Big Cypress, and there has not been any female panther mortality anywhere in the central FL area (and of course, she'd still have the collar on if she was found dead)...so she's somewhere.

 

[garnet1240]

Otters are one of my favorite animals!! Years ago we saw a family with just two babies in one of the ponds at AS. But my pictures look like little brown specks! Love these shots!! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Shadeaux]

When I clicked on the link I honestly wasn't expecting to see a lot, maybe a brown spot or two, but wow! Those were GREAT photos!

I am SO asking for bldg 45 next time we're at okw...

We've been here for 10 days; this is the only time we've seen the otters. The boats scared them into the woods this morning and we haven't seen them since.

 

[JimMIA]

I'm sending one of your pictures to some of my colleagues at Everglades, and challenging them to tell me where the picture was taken. They will never in a million years guess WDW!

 

[Shadeaux]

Great pictures! There's a LOT of wildlife around WDW, primarily because there is so much undisturbed habitat.

I'd be amazed if there weren't Florida Panthers up there. Not many, certainly, but I'll bet there are a few.

I don't know about panthers, but we saw a snake at BCV this afternoon. We were walking to the parking lot when my husband jumped back on the sidewalk and yelled snake. If I had kept walking where I was, I'd have stepped on it! After I was far enough away, I took a couple pictures.

http://public.fotki.com/shadeaux/disneyworld/may2007/page3.html

 

[JimMIA]

I don't know about panthers, but we saw a snake at BCV this afternoon. We were walking to the parking lot when my husband jumped back on the sidewalk and yelled snake. If I had kept walking where I was, I'd have stepped on it! After I was far enough away, I took a couple pictures.

http://public.fotki.com/shadeaux/disneyworld/may2007/page3.html

That's the dreaded Reedy Creek Mamba!

Naw, actually, it's a black racer. Non-venomous, non-aggressive, actually a pretty snake with a nice personality. But not a big fan of people -- I'm guessing it disappeared as soon as it saw you.

 

[Shadeaux]

That's the dreaded Reedy Creek Mamba!

Naw, actually, it's a black racer. Non-venomous, non-aggressive, actually a pretty snake with a nice personality. But not a big fan of people -- I'm guessing it disappeared as soon as it saw you.

Nope...it stayed right where it was....that's how I was able to get the pictures. We see those same type snakes in our yard, but I know to watch for them when I'm walking at home. I had NO idea there'd be a snake hanging around the sidewalk at BCV.

 

[JimMIA]

Nope...it stayed right where it was....that's how I was able to get the pictures. We see those same type snakes in our yard, but I know to watch for them when I'm walking at home. I had NO idea there'd be a snake hanging around the sidewalk at BCV.

We'll all have to remember this for our next resort-bashing thread.

BCV: snake-infested, alligator-infested -- don't go there!

We looked for alligators when we were at BCV a couple of weeks ago, incidentally, and we didn't see any. We didn't look that hard, it's not like we have an alligator deficiency!

 

[eeyoresnr]

thanks so much for sharing... how cute

 

[dianeschlicht]

Adorable! I've never seen them at OKW. Where did you see them? Were they in the canal?

 

[Shadeaux]

Adorable! I've never seen them at OKW. Where did you see them? Were they in the canal?

They were on the other side of the canal from the buildings. They'd go into the water, then back up onto the land into the woods. They were back again tonight swimming in the direction of Saratoga. Unfortunately, it's getting too dark to see them anymore.

 

[manning]

A couple of years ago we were riding back to OKW on the boat early evening. We were in the canal leading to OKW. The driver all of a sudden says look at that. On the walking path there it was. A bobcat taking a liesurely walk. As we went by it stopped and looked at us then calmly continued to walk. He said he had been driving a boat here for about 4 years and this was the first time he say one.

And there I was with a camera with only a 3x zoom. By the time I got the shot it was down aways. I do show the picture pointing out the dot that is the bobcat.

 

[eeyoresnr]

how cool to see a bobcat. it's nice to see the wild animals living so well on WDW property

 

[Margie J]

OMG, they are so cute.

I haven't seen them down this way (63) but I did watch a female duck yelling at the male decoy in the waterway. She was so pissed that he wasn't answering her.

 

[LisaS]

I loved your photos of the otters Shadeaux! The rest of your vacation photos are terrific as well. I liked your photos of the cuttlefish at Epcot. After seeing that program about cuttlefish on PBS recently, I will definitely check them out next time we're there.

 

[MiaSRN62]

Loved the otters Shadeaux ! Very cool !
I've never seen them at OKW.....I have seen them a few times at our offsite timeshare (Vistana). At Vistana a few years ago, I was videotaping the otter sleeping on the fountain (it was turned off) in the pond that was outside our balcony. He was sleeping so soundly---it was about 7 am. All of a sudden, the automatic timer at the resort went on that turns all the fountains back on and the otter was shot up into the air ! I have this on videotape and my family keeps telling me to send it in to Funniest Animal videos. The otter was unharmed....just really startled !

 

[dianeschlicht]

Loved the otters Shadeaux ! Very cool !
I've never seen them at OKW.....I have seen them a few times at our offsite timeshare (Vistana). At Vistana a few years ago, I was videotaping the otter sleeping on the fountain (it was turned off) in the pond that was outside our balcony. He was sleeping so soundly---it was about 7 am. All of a sudden, the automatic timer at the resort went on that turns all the fountains back on and the otter was shot up into the air ! I have this on videotape and my family keeps telling me to send it in to Funniest Animal videos. The otter was unharmed....just really startled !

Now THAT would have been a sight!

 

[DisneyFreaks]

Thanks for sharing these pictures. They are priceless. We have requested the South Point area so we'll have to have our eyes open. I cannot wait for our first visit to OKW!

 

[spiceycat]

boy been looking for the panthers - something had to be taken down the deers - because Disney is not over stocked with them.

bobcats are all around the South. We have some here where I live - close to Birmingham.

 

[Granny]

Great photos, thanks!

And I bet if you had started this thread off with the "Snake at OKW this morning" title and those pictures, it would have gone in a very different direction from "cute and adorable".

Thanks for sharing your photographic skills and sharp eyes.