Epic Travel → North America → The South → Florida → Everglades Area → Skunk Ape Research Center

Location: Ochopee, Big Cyprus National Preserve, Florida

Time Required: 30 minutes

Red Tape/Notes: Admission to the zoo in the back is $12 per person, but it was discounted to $6 when we were there (in the middle of summer). Check out their website here – you can buy Skunk Ape merchandise even if you don’t have time to stop in.

What’s Nearby?: Cape Romano Dome Home

This is a fun little stop, no matter how you feel about Yetis, Sasquatches, and the like (the Skunk Ape, of course, is the Everglades subspecies of the Sasquatch family). The shop features fun Skunk Ape merchandise and other Everglades souvenirs like alligator teeth. Behind the shop, there’s a small zoo where you can see an absolutely enormous python and several other snakes, a snapping turtle, alligators, and a large number of exotic birds. The shop and zoo are run by the Shealy family, the most famous (and outspoken) of which is Dave Shealy. If you get lucky, he might be there; if he is, make sure you take the time to ask him about the animals in the zoo and especially about the Skunk Ape. Talking to him is enough to make me wonder if maybe it’s possible…he’s clearly not crazy and he’s extremely pleasant and familiar with the Everglades and its wildlife and he absolutely believes the Skunk Ape exists and that he’s seen it (you can even see some of his original photographs in the shop). Personally, I love the idea that there are still things out there that we haven’t found. Regardless, you should definitely take your picture with the skunk ape statue out front. He looked adorable holding my handbag.

Epic Travel → North America → The South → Florida → Everglades Area → Skunk Ape Research Center