After a major period of “feeling numb and sad,” the team had to plan for what was to come. The staff reached out to other zoos and breeders to find new additions so visitors could have the same experiences as before. As one of the largest reptile zoos in the world, Reptile Gardens isn’t foreign to pivoting and looking ahead. What started out as one small building by Earl Brockelsby and some friends on a $400 loan from the bank in 1937 had turned into a campus of experiencing and preserving nature. “During the early years he would capture local snakes to exhibit each spring then release them in the fall,” said Maierhauser. “Each year he added and improved.” In 1949 Brockelsby added a full Reptile House , which enabled the team to keep more exotic species from around the world. They continued to improve and grow until 1965 when they moved to their new location, which ended up being off Highway 16 with four bustling lanes, bringing in visitors internationally.
Maniac, the Giant Saltwater Crocodile Maniac is one of few male saltwater crocodiles from Australia and was born in captivity in 1970. Check him out at 16 feet, two inches long with a weight of 1,350 pounds.
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