{"id":4269,"date":"2017-06-18T00:05:01","date_gmt":"2017-06-18T04:05:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/?p=4269"},"modified":"2020-05-17T07:10:24","modified_gmt":"2020-05-17T11:10:24","slug":"saint-augustine-alligator-farm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/index.php\/saint-augustine-alligator-farm\/","title":{"rendered":"Saint Augustine Alligator Farm"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In between our many adventures into the Disney Parks and other theme parks around central Florida, we like to spend time looking for wildlife to photograph. As a result, we often go to zoos or other places where we\u2019re likely to see animals up close.&nbsp;Recently, we paid a visit to the <a title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.alligatorfarm.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Saint Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park<\/a>.&nbsp;<!--more-->We\u2019ve been to Saint Augustine several times in the past, but never made it out to see the alligators. We\u2019ve spent most of our time around the Spanish Fort and wandering through the old town. Still, we kept reading about all the great opportunities to photograph wildlife, especially during the months when thousands of shore and wading birds come here to nest. We had no idea what to expect.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Saint Augustine Alligator Farm\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/G5D1Yd-O_WE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>No doubt about it, the Saint Augustine Alligator Farm is a legitimate zoo, specializing in the American Alligator, and it\u2019s worth the visit just to have an up close and personal view of these creatures. But nothing we read prepared us for what we found when we got there.<\/p>\n<p>We arrived during spring when nesting was in full swing. The way this works is that the back portion of Saint Augustine Alligator Farm is a large swamp area housing dozens of animals. Guests walk along an elevated walkway to view the gators, but this area is also the site of the wading bird rookery. Trees are situated next to the walkway and out in the distance. What probably occurred here is that years ago, wading birds began nesting in the trees off in the distance. It\u2019s safe because there are alligators everywhere on the ground, discouraging predators that would prey on the birds from coming anywhere near the trees. As the word got out among the birds, the site became more and more popular and other birds moved in to fill all the available space.<\/p>\n<p>Now, they nest in the trees sitting next to the elevated walkways, just feet from passing human guests. We\u2019ve seen this behavior before, where animals that normally won\u2019t allow a human within 100 feet, will allow humans literally within inches in other circumstances. One place that comes to mind is at the Disney parks, where wildlife will mix with humans, looking for handouts.<\/p>\n<p>No one is feeding the birds at Saint Augustine Alligator Farm, but they\u2019ve learned that humans in this environment pose no threat. It was quite a treat to be able to walk up as close as we did and observe, knowing that we were not disturbing them in any way.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to see the nesting birds as well as all the other exhibits at Saint Augustine Alligator Farm, the best time of year is in the spring, between April and July. We have no doubt that we\u2019ll return now that we\u2019ve seen what this place has to offer.<\/p>\n<p>Below we\u2019ve assembled a few of the images we made during our last trip.<\/p>\n<div id=\"jig1\" class=\"justified-image-grid jig-98e5c79d4a18fdc260ff90d32b714fc5 jig-preset-global jig-source-nextgen\"><div class=\"jig-clearfix\"><\/div><noscript id=\"jig1-html\" class=\"justified-image-grid-html\" data-lazy-src=\"skiplazyload\" data-src=\"skipunveillazyload\"><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/saint-augustine-alligator-farm\/2-BLF7224006-Edit.jpg\" title=\"An American Alligator swimming with just his head above water.\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/justified-image-grid\/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fhiddenmesa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsaint-augustine-alligator-farm%2F2-BLF7224006-Edit.jpg&amp;h=230&amp;q=90&amp;f=.jpg\" alt=\"Alligator\" width=\"344\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a><p class=\"jig-HTMLdescription\">Alligator<br\/>An American Alligator swimming with just his head above water.<\/p><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/saint-augustine-alligator-farm\/3-20170517_110936-Edit-Edit.jpg\" title=\"Twice a day the alligators are fed by one of the keepers. She also explains alligator behavior and characteristics in a presentation for the guests.\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/justified-image-grid\/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fhiddenmesa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsaint-augustine-alligator-farm%2F3-20170517_110936-Edit-Edit.jpg&amp;h=230&amp;q=90&amp;f=.jpg\" alt=\"Alligators\" width=\"408\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a><p class=\"jig-HTMLdescription\">Alligators<br\/>Twice a day the alligators are fed by one of the keepers. She also explains alligator behavior and characteristics in a presentation for the guests.<\/p><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/saint-augustine-alligator-farm\/4-BLF7224018-Edit.jpg\" title=\"A large American Alligator waiting to be fed. they&#039;ve been trained to expect food, so they wait with mouths open. this behavior also allows keepers to inspect their teeth.\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/justified-image-grid\/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fhiddenmesa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsaint-augustine-alligator-farm%2F4-BLF7224018-Edit.jpg&amp;h=230&amp;q=90&amp;f=.jpg\" alt=\"A Large Alligator\" width=\"344\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a><p class=\"jig-HTMLdescription\">A Large Alligator<br\/>A large American Alligator waiting to be fed. they've been trained to expect food, so they wait with mouths open. this behavior also allows keepers to inspect their teeth.<\/p><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/saint-augustine-alligator-farm\/5-BLF7224028-Edit.jpg\" title=\"A large American Alligator swimming with just his head above water.\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/justified-image-grid\/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fhiddenmesa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsaint-augustine-alligator-farm%2F5-BLF7224028-Edit.jpg&amp;h=230&amp;q=90&amp;f=.jpg\" alt=\"Swimming Alligator\" width=\"344\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a><p class=\"jig-HTMLdescription\">Swimming Alligator<br\/>A large American Alligator swimming with just his head above water.<\/p><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/saint-augustine-alligator-farm\/6-20170517_110501-Edit-Edit.jpg\" title=\"Two Albino Alligators enjoying a heating lamp that&#039;s located in their enclosure.\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/justified-image-grid\/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fhiddenmesa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsaint-augustine-alligator-farm%2F6-20170517_110501-Edit-Edit.jpg&amp;h=230&amp;q=90&amp;f=.jpg\" alt=\"Albino Alligators\" width=\"408\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a><p class=\"jig-HTMLdescription\">Albino Alligators<br\/>Two Albino Alligators enjoying a heating lamp that's located in their enclosure.<\/p><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/saint-augustine-alligator-farm\/7-DLF7218017-Edit.jpg\" title=\"Two turtles enjoying the sunshine.\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/justified-image-grid\/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fhiddenmesa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsaint-augustine-alligator-farm%2F7-DLF7218017-Edit.jpg&amp;h=230&amp;q=90&amp;f=.jpg\" alt=\"Two Turtles\" width=\"344\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a><p class=\"jig-HTMLdescription\">Two Turtles<br\/>Two turtles enjoying the sunshine.<\/p><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/saint-augustine-alligator-farm\/8-BLF7224099-Edit.jpg\" title=\"Two Ruddy Ducks swimming around. This species likes to winter in Florida. Many of these animals are not necessarily captive at St. Augustine Gator Farm. They&#039;re just here enjoying the free food.\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/justified-image-grid\/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fhiddenmesa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsaint-augustine-alligator-farm%2F8-BLF7224099-Edit.jpg&amp;h=230&amp;q=90&amp;f=.jpg\" alt=\"Two Ruddy Ducks\" width=\"344\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a><p class=\"jig-HTMLdescription\">Two Ruddy Ducks<br\/>Two Ruddy Ducks swimming around. This species likes to winter in Florida. Many of these animals are not necessarily captive at St. Augustine Gator Farm. They're just here enjoying the free food.<\/p><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/saint-augustine-alligator-farm\/9-BLF7224110-Edit.jpg\" title=\"A closeup of a Black Necked Swan.\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/justified-image-grid\/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fhiddenmesa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsaint-augustine-alligator-farm%2F9-BLF7224110-Edit.jpg&amp;h=230&amp;q=90&amp;f=.jpg\" alt=\"Black Neck Swan\" width=\"344\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a><p class=\"jig-HTMLdescription\">Black Neck Swan<br\/>A closeup of a Black Necked Swan.<\/p><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/saint-augustine-alligator-farm\/10-BLF7224115-Edit.jpg\" title=\"A Bronze Winged Duck swimming in a pool.\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/justified-image-grid\/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fhiddenmesa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsaint-augustine-alligator-farm%2F10-BLF7224115-Edit.jpg&amp;h=230&amp;q=90&amp;f=.jpg\" alt=\"Bronze Winged Duck\" width=\"344\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a><p class=\"jig-HTMLdescription\">Bronze Winged Duck<br\/>A Bronze Winged Duck swimming in a pool.<\/p><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/saint-augustine-alligator-farm\/11-BLF7224192-Edit.jpg\" title=\"Get up close to a Galapagos Tortoise.\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/justified-image-grid\/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fhiddenmesa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsaint-augustine-alligator-farm%2F11-BLF7224192-Edit.jpg&amp;h=230&amp;q=90&amp;f=.jpg\" alt=\"Galapagos Tortoise\" width=\"344\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a><p class=\"jig-HTMLdescription\">Galapagos Tortoise<br\/>Get up close to a Galapagos Tortoise.<\/p><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/saint-augustine-alligator-farm\/12-BLF7224294-Edit.jpg\" title=\"Snowy Egret chicks waiting for dinner.\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/justified-image-grid\/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fhiddenmesa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsaint-augustine-alligator-farm%2F12-BLF7224294-Edit.jpg&amp;h=230&amp;q=90&amp;f=.jpg\" alt=\"Snowy Egret Chicks\" width=\"344\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a><p class=\"jig-HTMLdescription\">Snowy Egret Chicks<br\/>Snowy Egret chicks waiting for dinner.<\/p><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/saint-augustine-alligator-farm\/13-DLF7218230-Edit.jpg\" title=\"Little Blue Heron perched on a tree.\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/justified-image-grid\/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fhiddenmesa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsaint-augustine-alligator-farm%2F13-DLF7218230-Edit.jpg&amp;h=230&amp;q=90&amp;f=.jpg\" alt=\"Little Blue Heron\" width=\"344\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a><p class=\"jig-HTMLdescription\">Little Blue Heron<br\/>Little Blue Heron perched on a tree.<\/p><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/saint-augustine-alligator-farm\/14-BLF7224521-Edit.jpg\" title=\"A family of Wood Storks and Great Egrets, also know as Great White Herons, perched on the same tree.\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/justified-image-grid\/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fhiddenmesa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsaint-augustine-alligator-farm%2F14-BLF7224521-Edit.jpg&amp;h=230&amp;q=90&amp;f=.jpg\" alt=\"Wood Storks and Great Egret\" width=\"344\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a><p class=\"jig-HTMLdescription\">Wood Storks and Great Egret<br\/>A family of Wood Storks and Great Egrets, also know as Great White Herons, perched on the same tree.<\/p><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/saint-augustine-alligator-farm\/15-BLF7224683-Edit.jpg\" title=\"Hundreds of native birds come here each year to nest and raise their chicks.\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/justified-image-grid\/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fhiddenmesa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsaint-augustine-alligator-farm%2F15-BLF7224683-Edit.jpg&amp;h=230&amp;q=90&amp;f=.jpg\" alt=\"Wading Bird Rookery\" width=\"344\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a><p class=\"jig-HTMLdescription\">Wading Bird Rookery<br\/>Hundreds of native birds come here each year to nest and raise their chicks.<\/p><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/saint-augustine-alligator-farm\/16-BLF7224687-Edit.jpg\" title=\"A walk along this wooden bridge takes you over the alligator swamp, and offers a close up view of the nesting birds at the wading bird rookery.\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/justified-image-grid\/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fhiddenmesa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsaint-augustine-alligator-farm%2F16-BLF7224687-Edit.jpg&amp;h=230&amp;q=90&amp;f=.jpg\" alt=\"Alligator Swamp and Wading Bird Rookery\" width=\"344\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a><p class=\"jig-HTMLdescription\">Alligator Swamp and Wading Bird Rookery<br\/>A walk along this wooden bridge takes you over the alligator swamp, and offers a close up view of the nesting birds at the wading bird rookery.<\/p><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/saint-augustine-alligator-farm\/17-BLF7224691-Edit.jpg\" title=\"A view of the alligators swimming in the Alligator Lagoon. You can see just a few of the hundreds of birds nesting here.\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/justified-image-grid\/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fhiddenmesa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsaint-augustine-alligator-farm%2F17-BLF7224691-Edit.jpg&amp;h=230&amp;q=90&amp;f=.jpg\" alt=\"Alligator Lagoon and Wading Bird Rookery\" width=\"344\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a><p class=\"jig-HTMLdescription\">Alligator Lagoon and Wading Bird Rookery<br\/>A view of the alligators swimming in the Alligator Lagoon. You can see just a few of the hundreds of birds nesting here.<\/p><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/saint-augustine-alligator-farm\/18-DLF7218478-Edit.jpg\" title=\"Enjoy lunch at Toucan Tina&#039;s snack bar.\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/justified-image-grid\/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fhiddenmesa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsaint-augustine-alligator-farm%2F18-DLF7218478-Edit.jpg&amp;h=230&amp;q=90&amp;f=.jpg\" alt=\"Toucan Tina&#039;s Snack Bar\" width=\"344\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a><p class=\"jig-HTMLdescription\">Toucan Tina's Snack Bar<br\/>Enjoy lunch at Toucan Tina's snack bar.<\/p><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/saint-augustine-alligator-farm\/19-BLF7224753-Edit.jpg\" title=\"A heron chick looking for lunch.\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/justified-image-grid\/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fhiddenmesa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsaint-augustine-alligator-farm%2F19-BLF7224753-Edit.jpg&amp;h=230&amp;q=90&amp;f=.jpg\" alt=\"Heron Chick\" width=\"344\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a><p class=\"jig-HTMLdescription\">Heron Chick<br\/>A heron chick looking for lunch.<\/p><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/saint-augustine-alligator-farm\/20-DLF7218512-Edit.jpg\" title=\"Two heron chicks waiting for lunch.\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/justified-image-grid\/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fhiddenmesa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsaint-augustine-alligator-farm%2F20-DLF7218512-Edit.jpg&amp;h=230&amp;q=90&amp;f=.jpg\" alt=\"Two Heron Chicks\" width=\"344\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a><p class=\"jig-HTMLdescription\">Two Heron Chicks<br\/>Two heron chicks waiting for lunch.<\/p><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/saint-augustine-alligator-farm\/21-BLF7224902-Edit.jpg\" title=\"A family of Roseate Spoonbills.\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/justified-image-grid\/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fhiddenmesa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsaint-augustine-alligator-farm%2F21-BLF7224902-Edit.jpg&amp;h=230&amp;q=90&amp;f=.jpg\" alt=\"Roseate Spoonbill\" width=\"344\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a><p class=\"jig-HTMLdescription\">Roseate Spoonbill<br\/>A family of Roseate Spoonbills.<\/p><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/saint-augustine-alligator-farm\/22-BLF7225197-Edit.jpg\" title=\"Presentations are given several times a day by Alligator Farm staff members in this covered, outdoor theater.\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/justified-image-grid\/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fhiddenmesa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsaint-augustine-alligator-farm%2F22-BLF7225197-Edit.jpg&amp;h=230&amp;q=90&amp;f=.jpg\" alt=\"Theater\" width=\"344\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a><p class=\"jig-HTMLdescription\">Theater<br\/>Presentations are given several times a day by Alligator Farm staff members in this covered, outdoor theater.<\/p><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/saint-augustine-alligator-farm\/23-BLF7225203-Edit.jpg\" title=\"One of the shady eating areas at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm.\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/justified-image-grid\/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fhiddenmesa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsaint-augustine-alligator-farm%2F23-BLF7225203-Edit.jpg&amp;h=230&amp;q=90&amp;f=.jpg\" alt=\"Shady Eating Area\" width=\"344\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a><p class=\"jig-HTMLdescription\">Shady Eating Area<br\/>One of the shady eating areas at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm.<\/p><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/saint-augustine-alligator-farm\/24-BLF7225205-Edit.jpg\" title=\"A shady place to watch alligators interacting.\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/justified-image-grid\/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fhiddenmesa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsaint-augustine-alligator-farm%2F24-BLF7225205-Edit.jpg&amp;h=230&amp;q=90&amp;f=.jpg\" alt=\"Alligator Lagoon\" width=\"344\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a><p class=\"jig-HTMLdescription\">Alligator Lagoon<br\/>A shady place to watch alligators interacting.<\/p><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/gallery\/saint-augustine-alligator-farm\/1-DLF7217989-Edit.jpg\" title=\"Two alligators waiting for lunch. In the central enclosure, alligators are hand fed by keepers.\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/justified-image-grid\/timthumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fhiddenmesa.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsaint-augustine-alligator-farm%2F1-DLF7217989-Edit.jpg&amp;h=230&amp;q=90&amp;f=.jpg\" alt=\"Two Alligators\" width=\"344\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a><p class=\"jig-HTMLdescription\">Two Alligators<br\/>Two alligators waiting for lunch. In the central enclosure, alligators are hand fed by keepers.<\/p><\/li><\/ul><\/noscript><\/div><div id=\"jig1-developerLink\" class=\"jig-developerLink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/justifiedgrid.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Justified Image Grid - Premium WordPress Gallery\">powered by Justified Image Grid<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In between our many adventures into the Disney Parks and other theme parks around central Florida, we like to spend time looking for wildlife to photograph. As a result, we often go to zoos or other places where we\u2019re likely to see animals up close.&nbsp;Recently, we paid a visit to the Saint Augustine Alligator FarmContinue reading &rarr;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4270,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,803,2172],"tags":[935,711,933,934],"class_list":["post-4269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-florida","category-travel","tag-alligator","tag-florida","tag-st-augustine","tag-wildlife","has-thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4269","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4269"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4269\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10043,"href":"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4269\/revisions\/10043"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4270"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hiddenmesa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}