A special message from Otter John himself:

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I had always loved snakes and other reptiles as a child, but when I turned 18, I knew that working with wildlife in some capacity was what I wanted to do for a living.  My first wildlife job was at Parrot Jungle and Gardens.  It was there that I gained my first real hands on experience with animals other than reptiles.  I was getting to work with and educate the public with small Florida mammals like raccoons, possums, flying squirrels, as well as birds of prey.  I actually got to handle bald eagles, hawks, falcons, owls, and vultures.  Now… working with wildlife wasn’t just sitting around playing with animals like everyone thinks.  You really dedicate all of your time to the cleaning, feeding, care taking, and training of the animals.  There has to be a purpose for what we’re doing and I quickly learned that my purpose was to educate the public.

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I remember the first time I had to stand up in front of people and talk about the animals.  I was so scared, mainly because I was trying to remember a script and my knowledge of the animals was limited.  As time went by and I learned more about the animals, it became so much fun doing educational programs.  I absolutely loved it when I could really get through to someone and help them understand the importance of wildlife and the environment.

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After working there for a little while, I realized that my purpose in life was to teach and help others understand just how important nature is to our way of living.  A lot of people would love to be able to work with wildlife, but I knew I was blessed because although I had a good understanding of animal behavior, I also knew how to communicate my knowledge.  I knew from early in my career that I could communicate to people of all ages, from little kids to grown adults.  This was my calling in life, now it was time to move on to a new place, somewhere I could continue to learn.

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At this point in my career I felt like a sponge.  I was trying to be around people who I thought were the best in the business, people I could learn the most from.  I got a great opportunity to work for a private wildlife company that did exhibits at parks, educational programs for schools, parties, special events, road shows for months at a time, even TV commercials and film work.  This was perfect for me… I was just two years into my career and I was about to get to work hands on with panthers, leopards, birds of prey, primates, bats, venomous reptiles, and so much more.  I was on top of the world.

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I still remember my “interview” with my new boss.  The first week was going to be a trial run, to see if I was capable of this job.  Everyone loves animals, not everyone can work in this field however.  So I was told that this job is not 8am-5pm.  We work until the animals are taken care of.  My pay would be $200 a week and if an animal gets sick and has to go to the vet, I may not get paid that week.  I didn’t care though.  I wanted, I needed the experience.  I dreamed of this every night.  This was an opportunity of a lifetime… As it turns out I worked for this company for about five years.  It was the best decision I ever made.  I got so much experience working with wildlife, handling all sorts of animals, animal nutrition, giving vaccinations, booking shows, doing shows, traveling throughout the country doing stage shows, doing studio work for commercials and movies, etc.

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This was an amazing experience, but it was time for me to be out on my own, so in June of 1999 I started Wild Florida Productions!  I had a lot of help from friends and volunteers and I am forever grateful for their help.  I started out with one animal, an otter named AJ.  I was able to get a job in the Everglades doing alligator demonstrations.  It was just me and my otter.  Every day after shows in the Everglades, I would take my otter swimming with me in the swamp.  For me, there was no closer feeling with nature than taking my otter swimming in the Everglades.  It was like flying with a falcon or running with a cheetah.  I was in the otters’ home in the swamp, swimming and exploring.  Experiencing that part of their life was magical.

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So when people refer to me, they would say, yeah John, the guy with the Otter… Otter John.!  I’ve been blessed to be able to do what I love to do for a living.  Of course there are difficult times and “job hazards” like any job, but at least I know that I am doing what I was born to do… teaching the next generation about wildlife and the importance of the environment they live in.

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-Otter John