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Animal Donations

Thank you for your interest in the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo and thank you for your kind offer of an animal for the Zoo's collection. The Zoo receives many similar offers but due to limited space, staffing, and funding, we are unable to accommodate such requests. The Zoo receives more than 100 donation offers each year of exotic pets such as green iguanas, parrots, boa constrictors, ball pythons, sugar gliders, etc. These numbers are staggering and continue unabated year after year. Many folks do not realize or were not truly prepared for the long term personal and financial commitment required to maintain exotic animals as pets.

Do not release an exotic or non-native animal into the wild. It is illegal and inhumane. Most captive animals are poorly equipped to survive in the wild. Alternately, if by chance they do survive, invasive exotic species are a serious threat to our native wildlife.

Below are resources available to learn about nonnative animals and choosing pets wisely:

• The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Nonnative Species website has information on options for unwanted pet herps in Florida - check out their Pet Amnesty Days
• The EcoHealthy Pets website is very helpful for making informed decisions when choosing a pet.

Injured Animals

If you have an injured animal that does NOT potentially have rabies, you can take the animal to the UF Small Animal Hospital. You can contact them by calling 352-392-2235.

To find out more information on what to do if you find an injured animal and who to contact, check out University of Florida's Florida Wildlife Extension.