Specialized Care
for Sea Turtles
The Healing Center is also designed to treat
patients with the fibropapilloma virus (FP),
which causes benign but cumbersome tumors
to grow inside and outside the host’s body.
Since FP-positive and FP-negative turtles must
be housed separately, the Healing Center is
one of just a few facilities that can accept
animals with this contagious disease, which
can be extremely debilitating.
If an FP-positive turtle is a good candidate for
surgery, the Zoo’s veterinary staff will remove
the tumors with a carbon dioxide laser.
Aiding Scrub-Jays
Migration is hardwired in the DNA of
many animal species, but not Florida
scrub-jays.
These beautiful, comical birds live in small family
groups, relying on one another for protection.
Unfortunately, human development has resulted
in the extensive loss of scrub habitat, which is
characterized by dry, sandy soil, low-lying
vegetation and naturally occurring wildfires.
These birds are found exclusively in Florida—
Palm Bay in particular was once a stronghold for
the species. As human populations grew in the
early 1990s, local scrub-jays suffered, and the
number of scrub-jay families in the city had
plummeted from 54 to just 11 by 2012.
With nowhere for the scrub-jays to go, we’ve
been working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission and United States Fish
and Wildlife Service to translocate family groups
to managed and protected scrub habitats. It is
our hope that the species remains in the county
(and state) for generations, inspiring nature
enthusiasts with their lovable antics.
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