LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Jellyfish are back at Shawnee Park.

Peach blossom jellyfish are native to China, but found in most of the United States. They appear sporadically and unpredictably. They have stinging cells for tiny prey, but haven't been proven to be able to sting human skin.

"I love every time we get to find new and exciting things and the jellyfish are a really fun one because they are very accessible," Elizabeth Winlock, with the Olmsted Parks Conservancy, said.

Officials said they probably arrived in the U.S. with imported ornamental plants. They can also hitch rides on birds that move them between bodies of water.

"People don't believe it when you tell them them there are freshwater jellyfish, let alone in Shawnee Park," Winlock said.

The jellyfish have been documented in the Ohio River, but are much easier to see in the Shawnee Park Lily Pond, where they have been spotted over the past few years.

"I probably wouldn't believe them unless I see them because it's just like, what are they doing in Louisville, Kentucky in the pond," Latrell Bennett, who lives near the park, said.

Bennett said he's been coming to the park since he was a kid but this is the first time he's seen jellyfish.

"The sense of wonder that you get is really fulfilling even when there aren't jellyfish," Winlock said. "Louisville is really lucky to have these beautiful parks that are accessible."

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