Join the Gates siblings deep in the Ocala swamps where mystery stinks, literally. Between rampaging wildlife, wildfires, and a legendary Skunk Ape, this cryptid adventure proves Florida’s wild side isn’t just for tourists.

Cryptid Rangers: Secret of the Skunk Ape

Siblings Jax, Cody and Lucy Gates visit the Ocala National Forest with their biologist parents to investigate why wildlife has begun rampaging through campsites.

While their parents study local bear populations, the Gates children take on their own investigation. Sightings of a large beast roaming the swamps and forests of Florida had been reported for decades. The Gates trio thinks they might be on the trail of the big foot-like beast known as “The Skunk Ape.”

Trekking through the forest, venturing out onto the alligator-infested waters, braving storms and navigating wildfires, the young investigators fear they may have bitten off more than they can chew. When Lucy gets separated from her brothers, she comes face to face with the creature that is wreaking havoc on the campground.

Can the Gates family find Lucy in time and solve the mystery of what is lurking in the Ocala National Forest?

Bio:

Nessie Kids, wolfprintMedia’s children’s imprint, grew from a simple idea: tell beautiful stories families can share. Founder Seth Sjostrom, author of more than 30 titles (starting with the thriller Blood in the Snow), began writing for kids and asked artist Michele Sjostrom to illustrate the first Hurricane Channing book. Michele, a devoted oil-on-canvas painter, completed 47 original canvases, filling her studio with scenes from the story. To meet the pace of new ideas, Seth gifted her an iPad with a note, “figure it out!”, and Michele translated her painterly eye into hand-drawn digital art.

Together, they now create the animal-loving adventures of Hurricane Channing, the understanding-first tales of Boots the Dog, and the travel-inspired Watercolor Towns coffee-table art books. Their best ongoing collaboration includes their son, Hayden, who contributes ideas and stories (with a father-son project slated around Halloween 2025). Beyond books, Nessie Kids engages families through events, playful merch, and keepsakes.

The Sjostroms’ partnership, two exes who chose friendship, creativity, and co-parenting, offers a quiet message of hope: with patience, care, and a child-first mindset, it’s possible to build something joyful together after divorce. Their mission is simple: make stories that nurture curiosity, empathy, and delight.