Stranded manatee returned to wild
One manatee’s story has a happy ending.
A manatee, nicknamed Randall, returned to the wild Thursday after he had been found stranded in Putnam County’s Camp Branch Creek, SeaWorld announced in a press release.
It took more than a year for Randall to be rehabilitated for his release.
In a decade, about 115 manatees have been rescued after being trapped in areas such as culverts, in ditches or water control structures and other areas, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. At least 22 have died. “Entrapments generally happen throughout the year, although extremely high seasonal tides can be one cause. Manatees may swim into an area during a high tide, then when the tide goes out, they’re stranded,” said Jim Valade, Manatee Recovery Coordinator with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in a statement.
He called on the public to report trapped manatees by calling the FWC at 888-404-3922 or by dialing *FWC on a cellphone.
Rooms prices $126.42 a night.
The hotel features three pools, water slides, a poolside bar, splash pads and rooms that have mini fridges and microwaves, a news release said. The developers declined to say how much was spent on the hotel renovations although a news release said it cost several million dollars.
“We are thrilled to hear about the opening of the newly renovated Holiday Inn Express and Suites hotel in Kissimmee,” DT Minich, president and CEO of Experience Kissimmee, said in a statement. “Yearly, more than 8 million vacationers stay in our area. This new hotel will attract even more guests to discover all the incredible experiences Kissimmee offers.”
The hotel, built in 2001, has a value on the tax rolls of about $5.95 million, according to Osceola County Property Appraiser records. start at
It’s a boy! Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has announced that a male baby orangutan — weighing about 3 pounds — has been born at the theme park.
Visitors soon will be able to see the baby in the Jungala area of the park, park officials say. The newborn is healthy and being cared for by its mother, Luna, with the animal care team monitoring closely. The father is Madju, another Busch Gardens resident.
The baby will be named Thursday through a Facebook poll.
The birth is part of Busch Gardens’ partnership with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan. The program’s mission is to manage species populations within accredited facilities.
Orangutans are critically endangered and typically live in trees in tropical is- land rain forests from lowland swamps to high in the mountains of Borneo.
Their populations have declined by more than 50 percent in the past 60 years, and the species’ habitat has been reduced by at least 55 percent in the past 20 years by deforestation.
Gaylord Palms wants the public to pucker up for an event during its upcoming holiday celebrations.
The resort (and willing loved ones) will try to set a Guinness world record for “most couples kissing under mistletoe in one location” Dec. 7 amid its Christmas festivities.
Participants for the event — dubbed “Kissstory in the Making” — will pay $34.99, a price that includes admission to the resort’s annual ICE! Christmas Around the World attraction for two people and one parking voucher.
The previous record was set by 201 couples at Six Flags Over Georgia in 2015.
Gaylord Palms’ mass kiss-off will take place near the Kissimmee resort’s sixstory Christmas tree in the St. Augustine atrium at 8:15 p.m. It will be supervised by an official Guinness World Records adjudicator.
After the kissing, folks will take an exclusive walkthrough of ICE!, which this year features global holiday traditions from the United Kingdom, Mexico, Germany and other countries.
Participants are required to be at least 18 for the event sponsored by Experience Kissimmee.
Christmas at Gaylord Palms activities — including ICE!, snow tubing, stage shows, concerts and character breakfasts — run from Nov. 21 through Jan. 7.