As our community continues to deal with the crisis posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we remain dedicated to the health and wellness of the animals in our care, to our employees and volunteers, and to continuing our local conservation initiatives like rehabilitating sea turtles and lagoon restoration.
In response to your kindness and concern regarding our ongoing financial challenges, we created a wish list that identifies many of the things we could use right now to continue our mission. Thank you to the hundreds of supporters that already granted some of our wishes! We update this list often, so check back for new additions.
Meerkat Mania!
The Meerkat Mob can always benefit from new enrichments, much to the delight of our guests. Our keepers are constantly working to satisfy their inherent curiosity by providing different items in their Meerkat Hamlet habitat. With your support, we can offer puzzle feeders, interactive treat dispensers and more.
Share the Cost by Contributing $8 | Total Shares: 30
PROVIDE ENRICHMENT
Picture This
Have you ever wondered what Zoo animals do when humans aren’t around? We’re hoping to find out! With a protective recording box, we can leave a GoPro unattended and see how the animals play when people are away- and then share footage on social media!
Share the Cost by Contributing $15 | Total Shares: 20
BUY CAMERA EQUIPMENT
Saving the Sea Cows
We want to establish a manatee rescue team to help our partners at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). While FWC will continue to take the lead in area manatee rescues, our trained team will be a resource for them to call on as manatee rescue season ramps up. With your help, we’ve been able to “answer the call” for 27 years, and now we are hoping to answer that call for one of Florida’s most beloved animals. This fund will cover crucial emergency equipment and manpower.
Share the Cost by Contributing $10 | Total Shares: 500
BUY MANATEE EQUIPMENT AND MANPOWER
‘Tis the Season for Sawfish!
You can help save our sawfish in the Indian River Lagoon! This year, Brevard Zoo is getting involved with surveying and monitoring of the endangered smalltooth sawfish that call the IRL home. Through a collaboration with NOAA, FWC and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, the Zoo is going to help fund and deploy supplies for both acoustic and satellite tags for individual animals. Your donation will go toward boating supplies (nets, bait, tagging tools, etc.), acoustic tags, real-time tags, boat trips into the lagoon and even sending staff into the field! The more we learn about these incredible prehistoric fish, the more we can help them thrive so they can continue their important roles within the lagoon. (Photo credit: Tonya Wiley)
Share the Cost by Contributing $10 | Total Shares: 750
BUY SAWFISH SUPPLIES
Feline Fun
As we prepare to welcome lions to the Zoo for the first time later this year, we’re stocking up on “toys” that will keep our pride stimulated and engaged. But these aren’t your average enrichment items—they’re large, expensive pieces of hardware designed to be gnawed on, pawed at and pushed around by one of the world’s most powerful predators! Toys include four-foot balls, bungees and tipsy toms.
Share the Cost by Contributing $25 | Total Shares: 320
BUY LION TOYS
A Daily Dose of Vitamin D
Our ambassador animals are true superstars with the important job of inspiring and educating the community. When they’re not participating in programs, they are housed in behind-the-scenes habitats that provide protection from inclement weather, but don’t let in much sunshine. A “sunning habitat” will give Genghis the Sudan plated lizard, Harvey the hingeback tortoise and other beloved ambassador animals the chance to soak up some rays!
Share the Cost by Contributing $10 | Total Shares: 137
BUY SUNNING HABITAT
Spice It Up!
A little-known fact about Masaya, our powerful and compelling female jaguar, is that she loves sniffing (and sometimes rolling in) spices! Her keepers will sprinkle oregano, basil and pepper in her habitat for her to discover throughout the day.
Spice Packet: $5 | Wish for 50
BUY A SPICE PACKET
Slow and Steady
Our four sloths are fed a steady supply of lettuce, sweet potato and other produce so fresh that it’s often of a higher quality than what you would find at the grocery store! These grade-A fruits and veggies are served alongside hardboiled eggs and specialized zoological pellets for a balanced diet that meets the sloths’ unique nutritional needs.
Share the Cost by Contributing $10 | Total Shares: 100
BUY SLOTH SNACKS
Foraging for Fun
When given the choice, some animals prefer to “earn” their food rather than eat a “free” meal. This can be accomplished with enrichment devices designed to prolong foraging time. Keepers will stuff these feeders with fresh fruits and vegetables and encourage our residents to work for their next snack. Everyone from alpacas to zebras will benefit!
Share the Cost by Contributing $15 | Total Shares: 100
BUY FEEDERS
Sea Turtle “Home Away from Home”
Our Sea Turtle Healing Center is busier than ever treating sick and injured sea turtles. Their care is often long-term (measured in months) as the goal is to rehabilitate them back to health for eventual return to their ocean home. While they are at the Healing Center, our incredible and dedicated staff makes sure their every need is satisfied as they heal in their “home away from home.” To make this possible, the needs are great… which is why our sea turtle caretakers wish for these items.
BUY SALT FOR POOLS (Share the Cost by Contributing $10 | Total Shares: 30)
BUY MEDICATION (Share the Cost by Contributing $15 | Total Shares: 20)
Supplementing the Senses
Keepers work to provide novel sensory experiences for our animals. We can use items like mirrors, bubble machines, bells, mirrored balls, light projectors, brushes and more to change their environments.
Share the Cost by Contributing $5 | Total Shares: 30
BUY EXPERIENCES
Bear Necessities—A Sticky Situation
Bears Brody and Cheyenne love nothing more than exploring their home for delicious treats placed high and low. Keepers love rubbing sticky spreads made of honey and peanut butter for the bears to discover in all sorts of fun hiding places. What better way to keep this darling duo healthy, happy and thriving?
Share the Cost by Contributing $15 | Total Shares: 30
BUY BEAR TREATS
Granted Wishes
Violet the goat explores a new platform that gives her a bird's-eye view of the Paws On Petting Zone.
A Zoo curator keeps an eye on the giant otter habitat thanks to a new camera system that allows us to monitor these animals from afar.
A blue-and-yellow macaw climbs down a new toy that will help satisfy his natural chewing instincts.
Zoo staff pour a bag of sand into a Perdido Key beach mouse tank. The tanks are designed to mimic the endangered mice's natural habitat and encourage breeding.
Clarabelle the goat enjoys a meal out of a new slow feeder.
Brevard Zoo is an IRS-designated 501(c)(3) organization. Donations are tax-deductible. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the division of consumer services (www.800HELPFLA.COM) by calling 1-800-HELP-FLA toll-free within the state. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by the state.