Cypress Gardens' crocs could feel budget bite

Berkeley County Council looking for savings as park likely to lose nearly $1M again this year

MONCKS CORNER — Berkeley County officials could cut the annual losses at Cypress Gardens by getting rid of its rare crocodiles and other exotic reptiles.

Dr. Sam Seashole, attending veterinarian at the county-owned park, said he is looking for homes for the exotic reptiles because the county has decided, at least for now, not to renew his contract, which expires in June.

Getting rid of the creatures at Crocodile Isle, a popular attraction for thousands of school kids every year, would save the county maintenance costs and reduce payroll costs of nearly $1 million a year, officials said. It would also create more space for lucrative weddings and meetings.

County officials said they haven't made a final decision yet — that would have to be made by council — but it is an option as next year's budget looms.

The park has been hemorrhaging money for years and, as the county's auditor noted Monday night at a council meeting, it needs to figure out how to stop the bleeding.

The county recently satisfied a $3.5 million debt the park accumulated through June 2007, but it is expected to lose close to $1 million again this year.

Supervisor Dan Davis proposed scaling down exhibits last year to save $100,000, but council rejected the proposal because no one knew how the cuts would affect the park.

Cypress Gardens Director Dwight Williams said the latest proposal would eliminate Crocodile Isle and merge the reptile center exhibits into the aquarium.

The reptile center would become a

multiuse building for weddings and meetings, while Crocodile Isle would become a garden.

The change would allow the park to refocus its collection on animals indigenous to the Lowcountry and create a swamp and wetland theme with more historical interpretation.

He said the boat rides through the swamp are probably the most popular attraction at the park. Those won't change, but the county might start charging for them.

Williams and Deputy Berkeley County Supervisor Chip Boling said they are still calculating the savings.

County Councilman Tim Callanan said the biggest problem is that payroll, including benefits, exceeded $937,000 in 2007.

"I just do not think a facility like that can justify a $1 million payroll," Callanan said.

County councilmen said they don't want to close the park, but they need to come up with a way to prevent it from draining the county budget.

Councilman Steve Davis said getting rid of the exotic animals is not a permanent solution and that the county needs to come up with a permanent method of funding.

Seashole said he would be disappointed if the contract for the crocodiles is not renewed. He said Crocodile Isle is the most diverse collection of crocodiles at any public facility in the world.

There are about 24 crocodiles and dozens of other reptiles that would be removed, including turtles, anacondas and some lizards.

He's already started looking for new homes for the animals, many of which had nowhere to go when their first home, a farm in Florida, shut down.

"If they were cute and fuzzy it would be easy to find them a home, but since they're scaly and toothy it's a little harder," Seashole said.

Early Mitchum, a Berkeley County teacher who also is a board member of Keeper of the Wild, a nonprofit rehabilitation and educational center near St. George, said getting rid of the crocodiles would be a shame.

"It would be a major injustice," she said. "We look forward to taking our children out there every year."

Reach Andy Paras at 745-5891 or aparas@postandcourier.com.