Sunday, December 1, 2013

Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida - Pensacola Florida

When I was a little kid my mom would always take us to places that were local and fun to visit. When I was really little my mom would take us to this sanctuary in Pensacola that housed animals that could not be released back into the wild or that just needed to heal and then be released or be placed in zoos. Some of the many things that we got to see when we went was a bear cub, owls, and a baby deer that someone had tried to keep in their back yard and it got hurt on the fence. When I was a kid the sanctuary would take cans as donations to help them keep running, I remember helping my mom save these cans so that we could go and help out the animals as well. Well now that I'm older I'm very please to say that I have located this sanctuary and to tell others that it's still around. It might have moved and it's a little different but it's great none the less.

The sanctuary still houses animals that can't be released or that need care to heal. And they help animals that people find and have a phone number for you to call if you find an animal that needs help. They allow people to come by and visit their animals that live at the sanctuary, they house over a hundred animals that can't be released. If you plan to visit the sanctuary then you might want to make sure that you know they keep strange hours, as far as I know right now they only allow people to visit their animals on Wednesdays - Saturday from noon to three thirty, but this can change. This might not seem like a long time but it's a great afternoon outing and it's a relaxing visit.

While I love animals and zoos can be fun this place is much better than any zoo I have been to. It's a calm and relaxing atmosphere and all the animals that that are there are being taken care of to help release them back into the wild or find them a more permanent place because they can't be released, or call the sanctuary home because they can't find homes elsewhere. There are a lot of animals that you see on your visit but it won't take you all afternoon to see them all. The last time that I visited I was able to see a wide range of critters including a serval and owls.

If you find that you can't head out on a weekday keep checking their website because sometimes if you find the right Saturday they might do an open house. This is where people can come and see some of their animals and they might even have animal encounters going on. This is a great way to head out there if you find that weekdays aren't the best for you or your family.

The Sanctuary is located at:

105 North "S" Street
Pensacola, FL 32505

Phone Number:  (850) 433-9453

Hours for Visiting:  Wednesday - Saturday: 12 noon to 3:30 p.m.

If you find injured wildlife drop offs are everyday from 8-5

They only ask for a small donation to help keep the sanctuary running, in order for you to visit.