Conservation
Rescue
Coming to the
when animals need advocates
Sea Turtle Healing Center
With 72 miles of Florida coastline, Brevard County
provides some of the world’s most critical sea turtle
habitat. But for years, the closest facility that could
treat sick and injured marine reptiles was more than
an hour’s drive away from most points in our county.
That changed in 2014 with the opening of our
Sea Turtle Healing Center. Housed within the Zoo’s
department of veterinary programs and located
adjacent to the Harris Animal Care Center, this
2,400-square-foot facility features 12 tanks ranging
from six to 20 feet.
Patients are brought to the Healing Center for a
variety of reasons—they may be recovering from a
boat strike, interaction with human debris such as
fishing line or plastic, or debilitation.
Experienced staff and dedicated volunteers use a
combination of medication, surgeries, much-needed
rest and nutritious food to nurse the turtles back to
health and, ideally, return them to the ocean.
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