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| In Florida, now zip over alligators |
| In Florida, now zip over alligators
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| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
, 28-November-2013
5:57:48 AM |
| I was slowly crossing a swinging log bridge when I paused, sensing the alligator 4 meters below was staring at me.
The water around the 2.5-meter-long gator's enormous body began rippling rapidly. A second later, Big Al let out a deep bellow, as if to say, "If you fall, you're my lunch."
I was grateful to be strapped in a harness.
The bridge was part of a 49-station obstacle course that includes 10 zip lines at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. It takes visitors over crocodiles, lemurs, giant tortoises, vultures and, of course, lots of alligators.
"It's just a totally different perspective. You can go to any zoo in the world and look at them through the glass, but you can't go anywhere and look at them over the top of the enclosures like you can here," said Scott Brown, who designed and now manages the Crocodile Crossing at the zoo.
The alligator farm is fascinating enough on foot. At 120 years old, it's one of Florida's oldest tourist attractions and it is the only zoo in the world that displays all 23 crocodilian species, including the nearly extinct Philippine crocodile.
From above, it's even more amazing. I paused on a rope bridge to watch enormous African vultures rip apart a carcass, zipped over a lagoon with dozens of alligators, watched lemurs scrambling around their cage below me and saw the surprised faces of the guests on the ground as I flew over their heads.
And it's a good workout. I've zip-lined through the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts and found this to be a bigger challenge. The zip lines in the mountains might be longer and faster, but the obstacles at the St. Augustine zoo make you work harder.
I had to climb rope ladders, traverse a high wire and struggle to maintain balance on bridges that use swinging ladders, swinging logs and boards that are placed so far apart they sometimes require a leap instead of a step. Even with temperatures below 25 Celsius I worked up a good sweat.
Plus, you don't find alligators and crocodiles in the mountains of the Northeast.
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