Owl's Nest Sanctuary Provides Critical Wildlife Rehabilitation in Central Florida

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Owl's Nest Sanctuary for Wildlife, located in Odessa, Florida, is the largest wildlife rehabilitation center in Central Florida. The non-profit facility operates as both a wildlife hospital and sanctuary, caring for over 4,200 animals last year alone. Founder Kris Porter and a team of volunteers work around the clock to treat and rehabilitate injured and orphaned wildlife, preparing them for eventual release back into the wild.

Why it matters

Wildlife rehabilitation centers like Owl's Nest play a critical role in protecting local ecosystems and biodiversity by caring for injured and displaced animals. With increasing human-wildlife conflicts and habitat loss, these facilities provide a vital safety net for vulnerable species. Owl's Nest's work is especially important given its large service area covering 12 counties in Central Florida.

The details

Owl's Nest Sanctuary operates without any state or federal government funding, relying entirely on donations to cover its expenses. The non-stop workday involves caring for a variety of animals, from ambassador animals like the melanistic red fox Nitro to bobcats and other species being prepared for release back into the wild. In addition to the on-site rehabilitation efforts, the facility also fields over 50 calls per day from the public reporting injured or orphaned wildlife.

• Owl's Nest Sanctuary for Wildlife opened in 2015.
• In 2022, the facility cared for close to 4,200 animals, an increase of nearly 1,000 from the previous year.

What they’re saying

What’s next

With baby mammal and raptor season approaching, the workload at Owl's Nest Sanctuary is expected to increase significantly in the coming months.