With a staggering 10,000–12,000 animals coming through their doors each year, the South Florida Wildlife Center has the highest intake volume of any wildlife hospital in Florida.
Like any nonprofit, they stretch a small budget as far as possible. Recently, the Greater Good Charities Rescue Rebuild team stepped up to help. We visited them in Fort Lauderdale to make much-needed improvements to the center's animal habitats.
South Florida Wildlife Center is a sanctuary dedicated to protecting and rehabilitating wildlife. Its core mission centers on rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing injured and orphaned wildlife. The center also prioritizes public education on wildlife conservation issues.
One element of the project involved the revitalization of the gopher tortoise habitat.
Overgrown plants and outdated structures were cleared, making room for fresh topsoil and enhanced dig protection. These improvements ensure the tortoises can thrive in a comfortable and secure environment.
Greater Good Charities also added enrichment structures to the coyote and fox habitats as well as to the squirrel enclosure. These improvements reinforce animals’ natural behaviors, giving them a better chance of being released back into the wild.
Several structures received metal roofing to protect animals from the sun, including the shorebird enclosure and coyote and fox enclosures.
A nursery mew was created for baby birds transitioning to bigger spaces, with a separate area for vulnerable birds who need protection from mosquitos and other bugs as they continue rehabilitating.
Thanks to these new and improved spaces, the South Florida Wildlife Center will be able to divert funds that would have gone towards these structures to continue saving orphaned and injured animals and preparing them for release back into their natural habitats.
Photos © Greater Good Charities
Since 2014, Rescue Rebuild, a shelter renovation program of Greater Good Charities, has recruited over 6,000 volunteers nationwide to renovate 193 animal shelters, domestic violence shelters, and homeless and veteran housing.
Many animal shelters that are dilapidated or destroyed by disasters lack the resources or funds to make renovations. Rescue Rebuild takes projects from concept to creation and offers construction consultation through free coaching services and grants.
Your donations make this critical work possible. Donate today to change lives.