POST AND COURIER (Charleston, S Carolina) 30 June 08 Crocs feel bite of budget cuts - Exhibit to be dismantled (Andy Paras)
Moncks Corner: They don't know it yet but the two dozen crocodiles at Cypress Gardens have little reason to smile these days.
What is widely considered to be the most diverse public collection of crocodiles in the world will be dismantled in the coming weeks as most of the animals will be shipped separately to exhibits across the Southeast.
Their fate was sealed June 23 when Berkeley County Council approved nearly $400,000 in cuts to the park's annual budget with no discussion about the crocodiles.
"There's not a lot of pity for animals like this," said Sam Seashole, attending veterinarian at the county-owned park.
It's somber news to Seashole and a staff that has worked over the past eight years to make the park's Crocodile Isle and reptile house exhibits what they are today.
The crocodile exhibits were praised by experts from across the country in March, when the park played host to officials from some of the country's largest animal attractions, including Disney's Animal Kingdom.
Now the Cypress Gardens staff is working to ensure that the animals will get the same treatment somewhere else.
Seashole said he's found homes for many of the animals but it's a struggle because most facilities lack the space and resources necessary to provide the specialized care the animals require.
"If we had a lot of little fuzzy things you'd have a whole bunch of people wanting to give them a place to go, but crocs are a different story," he said.
He's taking particular care to keep many of the pairs together because the animals that breed share a special bond, and introducing a new partner could have fatal consequences.
Seashole saved many of the animals from being euthanized after their first home, a farm in Florida, shut down years ago. He said none of the animals will be euthanized this time, either.
"Absolutely not," he said. "That's not going to happen. Not while I'm breathing."
County officials say the cuts were necessary because the park has been hemorrhaging money for years. The county recently satisfied a $3.5 million debt the park accumulated through June 2007 and it still has to address about $653,000 in losses from 2008.
County Supervisor Dan Davis has said that eliminating most of the exotic animal exhibits and shifting staff to other departments will cut the annual costs at the park to about $270,000.
While some of the changes are still being discussed, county officials say the park's boats, butterfly house and aquarium will help keep the park an attraction for the thousands of school children who visit every year.
Crocodile Isle, where many of the crocodiles sun themselves year-round — including a pair of rare, narrow-nosed Tomistoma crocodiles from Southeast Asia — will be replaced with either a garden or reception area for the many weddings that occur at the park on weekends.
The reptile center, home to more crocodiles, exotic animals and some animals indigenous to the area, will either be moved into the aquarium or sent somewhere else.
A large anaconda on display in the reptile center is headed for the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia while a large Galapagos turtle is going to Alligator Adventure in North Myrtle Beach, Seashole said.
Dwight Williams, director of Cypress Gardens, said the reptile house will either become home to more events and gatherings or for some of the thousands of slave artifacts recently recovered from the new DuPont project on property adjacent to the park.
The park also received some good news this year when Google expressed interest in building a sewer line nearby within the next two years. That could help the park grow beyond its current, limited septic capacity.
As for Seashole, his contract expires today. His understanding that is the animals need to be out by the end of July.
Seashole said they're proud of the care the animals received at Cypress Gardens and will make sure they get the best care at their new homes, wherever that might be.
"Decisions have been made that I have to abide by," he said. "I've kept these guys safe for a lot of years and I'll continue to do so."
Crocs feel bite of budget cuts