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Our Animal Residents
Every animal that calls the North Florida Wildlife Center home is non-releasable and cannot be returned to the wild. Many of our residents were rescued from the wild by licensed wildlife rehabilitators after suffering injuries or conditions that prevent their release. Others were surrendered or rescued pets, or have come to us through partnerships with accredited zoological institutions and other reputable zoological facilities.
What Does "Wildlife Center" mean?
Wildlife refers to wild animal species, whether they are found in Florida or elsewhere around the world. While some wildlife centers focus exclusively on rehabilitating and releasing native wildlife, the North Florida Wildlife Center serves a broader mission. Our animal residents include both native and non-native wildlife. By caring for species from Florida and around the world, we are able to educate guests about wildlife conservation on a global scale, inspire meaningful connections with nature, and support efforts to protect species and habitats both locally and internationally.
Domesticated vs. Wild
To understand a place like the Wildlife Center, it’s important to know the difference between domesticated and wild animals. Domesticated animals have been physically and behaviorally altered through hundreds or thousands of years of selective breeding for human benefit, often to the point that they no longer closely resemble or behave like their wild ancestors. Because few species possess the traits needed for domestication, only a small number have ever been domesticated. Wild animals, by contrast, retain the instincts and behaviors that evolved in nature. At the Wildlife Center, you will find wild animals living as naturally as possible in human care, free from many of the hardships of survival in the wild while helping inspire the conservation of wildlife and wild places.
Preserving the Wild
If preserving natural instincts is so important, why do facilities like the Wildlife Center welcome visitors? Because one of the most effective ways to protect wildlife is to help people care about it. Seeing animals up close creates personal connections that inspire conservation action. Visitor support also helps provide exceptional care for our animal residents and funds conservation efforts both locally and around the world. Simply put, visitors are an essential part of our mission.
For the Future
Animals living in human care play an important role in conservation. Through responsible breeding programs and partnerships among zoological facilities, valuable genetic diversity can be preserved for future generations. These animals also help scientists, conservationists, and the public better understand the species they represent. As wildlife populations continue to decline around the world, organizations like the Wildlife Center are helping ensure these species have a future.
SPECIES IN RESIDENCE
SPECIES
OCCURRING NATURALLY
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