South Florida Wildlife Center helps animals injured during Hurricane Ian

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Hurricane Ian displaced so many individuals by wiping out their homes and companies, however the main storm additionally destroyed many animal habitats and houses too.

Now, the South Florida Wildlife Center in Broward County is housing and rehabilitating animals from Southwest Florida.

“In our pelican habitat, we’re currently housing many of the pelicans that were brought to us from the west coast,” stated Mariangelique Diaz, of the South Florida Wildlife Center.

“We’re busy ourselves! We’re still in-taking quite a few animals from our side of Florida on a regular basis, so bringing in these animals is definitely extra work.”

The heart has taken in pelicans, owls, and even child squirrels.

An further three dozen animals had been introduced right here to be cared for, to be rehabilitated, and ultimately launched. One peregrine falcon specifically has a number of bone fractures in one in every of its wings and receives care across the clock.

“We think that she is going to be able to regain flight based on how it is healing,” Diaz stated of the falcon.

Depending on the extent of the accidents, momentary care right here may final hours, days and even months.

“it’s kind of a constant shifting and moving of patients around,” Diaz stated.

Many of the animals had been evacuated forward of the storm from a west coast wildlife heart. Some, like a tortoise now being saved on the heart in Broward, had been discovered after Ian. Some sadly wouldn’t survive the hurricane, however it’s all about rebuilding the longer term for these little lives.

Much like these rebuilding to return to stay on Florida’s West Coast, a few of these animals will return too.

“It’s really the adult animals that we worry the most about because they are going to want a home, they want to get back to the areas they have established their territory, Diaz said.

“Some of these younger animals don’t have established territories yet, so we can rehabilitate them here and release them within our coast,” Diaz stated.

One instance, specifically, is a seagull, which was launched on Hollywood Beach as an alternative of Sanibel Island.

“Every species needs something special so it just warms my heart that was able to reach out that olive branch and to help them out and be able to give these animals a second chance,” Diaz stated.