CBS news show shines spotlight on Sanibel Island's spectacular wildlife thriving after Ian
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In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Ian, there were many dark days and weeks for Sanibel Island, a place with a global reputation for its wildlife, plant life, sunsets and seashells.
Now, more than eight months since the Category 4 storm struck Sanibel and other Southwest Florida locations, there are signs indicating better days are upon us and more are ahead, including the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Visitors Center reopening on June 6 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
That would be considered a big win for the island, along with the progress being made on rebuilding the causeway, some shops and restaurants opening again, the post office back in business, and people posting photos of the seashells they have found on the picturesque beaches that have made Sanibel world famous.
A small but noteworthy win came on Sunday (June 4) when CBS Sunday Morning, a television newsmagazine that has aired on CBS since 1979 and that traditionally ends the broadcast with a video featuring nature in different locations in the U.S., came to Sanibel.
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Sunday's broadcast ended with a 3-minute, 4-second video taken at the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, one of the major attractions that bring visitors to Sanibel from around the world. The video is a series of sounds and pictures of the wildlife in the refuge shot by videographer Charles Schultz.
The video description says: "Sunday Morning" visits J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge in Sanibel, Fla., where nature is on the mend following the devastation caused by last year's Hurricane Ian."
One clip shows a recently hatched bird in its nest near the shells of the egg and the mother caring for the offspring.
Another clip captures a bobcat grooming itself, looking up at the camera in the middle of licking its paws.
There's also a view of an Anhinga bird drying its wings in mangroves.
And of course, a pretty lazy looking alligator.
Needless to say, this is the kind of boost a community recovering from a major hurricane can use. Brighter days aren't ahead. They are already here.
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This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Sanibel, Florida, wildlife at Ding Darling refuge shown in CBS video
