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About The Zoo And Founder

The Zoo

Willy Swamp Safari is a wild, independent adult animated comedy, set in a fictional zoo, hidden deep within the Big Cypress Swamp—on land no GPS can locate, and where most zookeepers don’t last long. Founded who-knows-when by who-knows-who, this zoo is home to an ever-changing mix of living animals, extinct species, and mythical beasts—all trying to coexist in a place where no one seems fully in charge.

The show follows a dysfunctional cast of “residents” doing their best (and often their worst) to keep the park running:

Gimbo – a loud, stubborn, skeptical (occasionally correct) gorilla who thinks he’s in charge
Kumquat – a hyper-positive golden tamarin with secret evil-genius energy
Jeff Raffe – a perpetually stoned giraffe who somehow became head of research
Akhlut – a loyal pit bull/orca hybrid who might be the only sane one around

Together they stumble through life in the swamp—hosting deranged events, managing cursed attractions, and narrowly avoiding disaster (or not). Each episode blends 2D animation with bursts of live-action green-screen chaos, especially whenever humans appear. The result is a surreal mix of Florida wildlife, cryptid encounters, Budomon battles, and stoner-zoology satire that turns the Everglades’ strangest corners into a hallucinatory theme park.

Genre: Absurdist Fiction, Surreal Humor, Dark Comedy
Tone: Irreverent, fast-paced, and unhinged; full of parody, visual gags, and the occasional heartfelt surprise
Themes: Weed culture, zoology satire, Florida weirdness, cryptids, and the absurdity of survival
Audience: Adults 18–35 — fans of cult animation, stoner humor, and offbeat satire
Rating: Mature Audience — for language, drug references, adult themes, and general idiocy

The Founder

Hello and welcome to my zoo. I’m E.N. Hagedorn — self-taught animator, cartoonist, and creator of Willy Swamp Safari. I grew up surrounded by animals—between the Everglades, zoos, and life on a farm—so it’s no surprise my first “films” were homemade Steve-Irwin-style animal documentaries. I originally went to school with dreams of becoming a veterinarian, but my obsession with storytelling and animation eventually took over.

For the past four-plus years, I’ve been hand-drawing, animating, and building this cartoon world from the ground up. Every background, every frame, every swamp creature—made by one guy with a lot of caffeine, a few good friends, and way too much Everglades inspiration.

This project is completely independent and made with genuine love (and occasional madness). If you enjoy the show, you can help keep the zoo’s gates open by buying merch, subscribing, or spreading the word. Every bit of support helps this indie zoo survive another chaotic season.

Meet Our Residents

Step right in and meet the residents! Some are extant, some extinct, and some can’t be explained without hallucinogens. We don’t discriminate — inside you’ll find a mix of rare beasts, extinct oddities, and cryptids we probably shouldn’t admit to harboring. A few aliens dropped by and decided to stay, and the swamp keeps sneaking in new surprises. It grows stranger every day, so don’t get too attached to the head count.

Gimbo

Species: Western Lowland Gorilla
Height: 5’1”
Habitat: Archipelago Boardwalk

Bio: Gimbo is a temperamental, but lovable, gorilla with a short fuse and a big heart. He struggles to work with others, but deep down, he means well. Obsessed with winning over Florence the Flamingo (who is not interested), Gimbo constantly finds himself in embarrassing, often destructive situations. Despite his flaws, Gimbo is the heart and soul of the zoo.

Kumquat

Species: Golden Lion Marmoset
Height: 0’11”
Habitat: Archipelago Boardwalk

Bio: Kumquat is Gimbo’s cheerful little brother and constant shadow, radiating kindness, optimism, and just a hint of danger. Loved by guests and staff alike. He smooths over Gimbo’s messes with a smile and a hug. Beneath the sweetness, however, lies a wildly mischievous mind, always plotting something fun, questionable, or both. Loyal to a fault and happily unhinged, Kumquat may look harmless, but he’s often the one pulling the strings.

Akhlut

Species: Kak-Whan-U-Ghat Kig-U-Lu’-Nik
Height: 5’0” (nose to tail)
Habitat: Archipelago Boardwalk

Bio: Akhlut is Gimbo’s pet and a very good girl. A mysterious half killer whale, half pit bull, she is fiercely loyal and deeply protective of her family. Akhlut follows Gimbo and Kumquat on most adventures, often serving as transportation when Kumquat gets tired.

Jeff Raffe

Species: Kordofan Giraffe
Height: 6’4”
Habitat: The Hayborhood

Bio: Jeff Raffe is the zoo’s absent minded Kingpin and former powerful Budomon dealer, whose brilliance is only matched by how easily distracted he is. Perpetually high and wildly underprepared, his experiments, advice, or budomon almost always make things worse. When teamed up with Kumquat, things become especially dangerous, usually while insisting everything is completely under control.

Girme

Species: Okee Girmicide
Height: 1’8”
Habitat: The Hayborhood

Bio: Girme is Jeff Raffe’s longtime Budomon partner — a bushy, pesticide-sweating creature shaped like a blueberry nug with a baby giraffe-like face poking out. Jeff doesn’t do many Smoke-Offs anymore, so Girme mostly hangs around his loyal toxic pet.

Skunk Ape

Species: Skunk Ape
Height: 6’5”
Habitat: Marshmallow Mobile Marsh Meadows

Bio: Ape is Gimbo’s calm simple cousin, and the zoo’s unofficial monster wrangler. He lives in the Mythical Creatures Exhibit, and runs gator wrestling matches and airboat tours. Equal parts redneck and cryptid, Ape handles most problems with either a double-barrel shotgun or his fists. He’s a beast master, a beer enthusiast, and possibly the only person to ever break up with a mermaid and live to tell about it.

Popo Lar Bear

Species: Polar Bear
Height: 5’7”
Habitat: Snowbird Village

Bio: Po Po Lar Bear is the self- important, grumpy head of the Polar Police Union at Willy Swamp Safari. Biased, bad tempered, and wildly ineffective, he takes his authority very seriously while accomplishing almost nothing. More interested in posturing than protecting, Po Po Lar Bear is usually the last person you want showing up when something goes wrong.

Officer Russ

Species: Pacific Walrus
Height: 7’0”
Habitat: Snowbird Village

Bio: Officer Russ is Po Po Lar Bear’s long-suffering partner and a walrus veteran with severe PTSD. Haunted by past experiences and prone to intense flashbacks, Russ is often the only one who sees real danger coming. Unfortunately, no one ever listens to him. Together with Po Po Lar Bear, he forms a chaotic law enforcement duo with a deep grudge against Gimbo and his friends.

Capuchin McMonkey

Species: Hooded Capuchin
Height: 2’6”
Habitat: Archipelago Boardwalk

Bio: Capuchin is the older of the two McMonkey brothers, a junkyard tinkerer and proud inventor of a fully functional potato launcher and several other “probably not safe” weapons. He provides the park (and his brother) with makeshift weapons and headaches.

Macaque McMonkey

Species: Bonnet Macaque
Height: 3’3”
Habitat: Archipelago Boardwalk

Bio: Macaque, the younger brother, is just along for the ride. He’s usually drunk, hungover, or asleep on the floor. Despite having no real interest in his brother’s antics, he still somehow ends up suffering through the consequences.

Banshia

Species: Everglades Mermaid
Height: 7’8” (head to tail)
Habitat: Outerlands

Bio: Banshia is the shrieking soul thief Queen banshee of the Outerlands, the wild swamp beyond the zoo’s fence. A recurring antagonist and notorious seductress, she uses witchy mermaid magic to lure in lost men, then robs them of their souls (and wallets). She flies, swims, screams, and terrorizes, but never truly loves. She is also Skunk Ape’s ex. It’s awkward.

Juvenile Banshee

Species: Everglades Mermaid
Height: 1’1” (head to tail)
Habitat: Outerlands

Bio: Juveniles act as scouts and treasure thieves. They spend most of their lives serving their queen. Little is known about how one grows into a Queen Banshee, but we do know they hatch from eggs.

Agent Piney

Species: Douglas Fir
Height: 6’8”
Habitat: Snowbird Village

Bio: Agent Piney is the zoo’s most extreme anti drug enforcer and the ruthless head of Tree.E.A., the park’s version of the DEA. His mission is simple: shut down Jeff Raffe, seize every Budomon, and eliminate drug use in Willy Swamp Safari entirely. Relentless, humorless, and terrifyingly prepared, Piney stalks the swamp with his team in pursuit of a mysterious Buddie, and a single goal--to bring down every dealer in the zoo.

Agent Cone

Species: Douglas Squirrel
Height: 0’10”
Habitat: Snowbird Village

Bio: Agent Cone is a squirrel who lives inside Piney’s head and acts as his sidekick . He is literally the eyes on the back of his partner’s head. He despises Budomon more than most. Even though he’s pocket sized, he’s a big threat to local dealers.

Oeohpgg

Species: Unknown Oeohpgg
Height: 2’10”
Habitat: Snowbird Village

Bio: Oeohpgg is the team’s personal Budomon, a one-of-a- kind talking Budomon, unlike any other. On top of being the only known talking Budomon, he doesn’t have a grinder shell like the other Okee Oeohpgg found in the park. As far as he knows, he’s the only one of his kind and can’t remember much before Agent Piney saved him in a raid.

Paul

Species: Anurognathus
Height: 2’10”
Habitat: All habitats in Willy Swamp Safari

Bio: Not every animal in the park talks — some are regular animals. The Anurognathus is a prehistoric frog-mouthed pterosaur that flits around like a swamp pigeon. Paul is cute, fast, and technically extinct — but in the magical land of Willy Swamp Safari, extinction is more of a suggestion. Paul is one of the park’s most popular Anurognathus — but not the only one. Guard your snacks while visiting.

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This cartoon entertainment project is completely independent and made with genuine love (and occasional madness). If you enjoy Willy Swamp Safari, please help keep the zoo’s gates open by buying merch, sponsoring, or donating and receiving "thank you" merch, subscribing, or assist by spreading the word. Every bit of your much appreciated support helps Willy Swamp Safari survive another chaotic season.

Plan Your Trip

Welcome to Willy Swamp Safari, South Florida’s strangest wildlife park!

Our gates are always open (whether that’s a good thing or not). You can explore the zoo, meet the residents, and support the park by purchasing “tickets” — which are really just Patreon or Ko-fi donations that help keep the swamp lights on and the Residents fed.

Through Patreon, you can even visit our Discord Zoo, where each membership tier unlocks new areas, perks, and behind-the-fence privileges. Every tier helps keep this indie cartoon alive and the zoo from sinking completely into the swamp.

Hours of Operation

Open all hours of the day — just be careful after nightfall, or as it’s known here: “Screamfall.”
(Screamfall usually starts around 7 PM.)

Day: Mon–Sun

Open: Sunrise to Screamfall

Holidays:Yes, especially cursed holidays, and nights

Address: Somewhere in Big Cypress Swamp.
GPS: Will not help you.
Directions: Head into Big Cypress and ignore any signs that say ‘Turn Back.’ Those are for insurance reasons.

Park Map

ZOO News

Exhibits

Visit Us Anytime

Open Daily from Sunrise to Screamfall

Location

Everglades, Florida, USA

123-456-7890

WillySwampSafari@Gmail.com

Something’s growing in the swamp… and it’s smokable.Budomon coming soon!

Budomon is part of the Willy Swamp Safari universe — where drugs and paraphernalia (mostly weed) exist as real, living creatures.

In this world, animals and characters can become Dealers, often receiving their First Hit — their first Budomon — when they start their journey. Dealers catch Budomon and compete in Smoke-Offs to cultivate stronger ones, all in pursuit of producing the highest quality strain.

Budomon themselves can also be used to get high in... creative ways:

Some have fur made of weed
Others have breathable vape noses
A few have edible flesh that regenerates without harm

Budomon exist all over the world, but in Willy Swamp Safari, they appear mainly in the Okee Range — a sprawling region stretching from Lake Okeechobee down to the Florida Keys. In this area, Jeff Raff acts as the local Kingpin, distributing First Hits to new Dealers and keeping the swamp’s underground Budomon scene alive.

The Okee Range is home to countless unique Budomon species, each with strange and often unpredictable Blooming methods. Among them are rare Budomon known as the Sacred Strains and the Precious Paraphernalia, legendary creatures with near-mythical power.

The three First Hits of Willy Swamp Safari are:

Tadpoo — Hemp type
Nugator — Aquaponic type
Zoember — Blazed type

Sponcers

Reviews

Visited Willy Swamp Safari over Spring Break. I was attacked by vicious swarms of mosquitoes, barely survived the Everglades extreme heat and humidity, spontaneous lightening and thunder storms, and alligator-infested swamp waters that are everywhere. A sexy mermaid also stole my wallet. Best day ever! Justin K.

Ladies, DO NOT, under any circumstances, flirt with that handsome rugged Skunk Ape hottie who runs the swamp airboat tours and wrestles gators. His crazy flying screeching ex will show up out of nowhere and whoop you like a Cat. 5 hurricane. Barbie D.

No GPS. No cellphone service. No recollection of how I lost my pants and woke up in a bubbling witch's cauldron. What happens during Screamfall, stays in Screamfall. A night in Willy Swamp Safari is better than a night in Vegas. Billy G.