Jungle Larry, Larry Tetzlaff was one of the greatest, most colorful people I have ever had the fortune to meet the the animal field. He was a Marlin Perkins/Jack Hanna type tv personality, in the Sandusky Ohio area in the 50's early 60's. He had animal exhibits at Cedar Point for years before moving his operation to Naples, Florida and using the Carribean Gardens, which it is now called, as a winter home for his animals. The botanical gardens was built by Julis Fleshmann of margarine fame originally. Jungle Larry, and his wife Nancy, or Safari Jane, turned it into an unbelievable animal paradise and zoo, and offered trained animal shows. Many of todays animal trainers/animal keepers got their start here, and it rivals/surpasses the famed Thousand Oaks in California in that respect. Larry was a trained Herpetologist, and loved snakes. We used to go on night time collecting trips, to catch florida snakes, turtles, etc. for exhibit. His son David, became a very good animal trainer and did show for years, and authored a book on the familys life. He and his mother Nancy still run this beautiful Florida zoo from the past. That's where it started, and I was honored to have the Tetzlaff family as my guests in 1984, for the opening premier on Ringling Bros. Circus. Awful small compensation for what Larry gave me.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The first zoo I ever worked at before the circus came into my life
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
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My wife Cyndi, after working at Minnesota zoo took a job at The Conservancy which is next door to Jungle Larry's in Naples. She rehabed raptors. On her day off she spent a bit time walking the grounds of the Tetzlaff's place. She has lots of great photos of the place. Also, Sharon Rendell's book on the family is a great read with alot of training insight from David. There are even a few Wade Burck mentions!
Joey,
Jungle Larry's got a bit more commercial over the years, but back in the day it was like living in an actual jungle. The "dorm" type housing was right on the ground, and the peacock walking on the tin roof assured an early wake up, and there was a troop of 30 Squirrel Monkeys which had started as 6 that got loose, that used to sit on the porch at sundown.
It was the first time I had been out of North Dakota, and I assure you it was like being on another planet. A lot of animal people started there.
Wade
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