Adopt an Ambassador Animal

Ambassador Adoptions

Need a gift for that person who has everything? Adopt one or more of our Educational Ambassadors! Choose one of our three owls, two Gopher Tortoises, a Kestrel, a Box Turtle, our Red-shouldered Hawk, or our two Rat Snakes and help provide food, training, housing, and medical care.

Adoptive parents will receive:

  • A photograph and biography of their animal
  • A certificate of adoption
  • A fact sheet about the species

*This is a symbolic adoption. Possession of and responsibility for the animal does not pass to the adoptive parent. The animals will continue to reside at Florida Wildlife Hospital in compliance with U.S. Fish and Wildlife regulations.

Please allow 2-3 weeks for receipt of your adoption package. 

Gonzo

Eastern Screech Owl

Gonzo came to FWH as a fledgling with a broken wing in 2003. Unfortunately, the break left him permanently unable to fly. Gonzo was an amazing ambassador but in the past few years, he has been enjoying the retired life. However, Gonzo still helps staff care for and raise all of the baby screech owls that are admitted.

Corey

Barn Owl

Corey was found with his 4 siblings in a buildling being demolished. It was noticed that Corey was missing his right wing, most likely a birth defect, and would never be able to be released. After his 4 siblings were released, Corey came to FWH in 2011 as a permant resident and is a wonderful ambassador for his species.

Wink

Eastern Screech Owl

Wink was admitted as an adult to the Avian Reconditioning Center in 2020 for a severe eye injury. Unfortunately, the eye needed to be removed leaving him as a non-releasable patient. His personality made him an ideal candidate for life as an ambassador. Wink came to FWH in 2021 and now attends programs to show the public all the wonders of owls.

Archer

Great-horned Owl

Archer joined our education team in December of 2022. He was admitted to Nature’s Nanny Wildlife Rehabilitation (Chesapeake, VA) emaciated and with head trauma. Unfortunately, Archer has a detached retina and is completely blind in his right eye and so is unable to be released into the wild.

Quinn

Red-shouldered Hawk

Quinn is our newest ambassador, arriving back in 2015 with a foot injury he received while still in the nest. This injury left him without 3 of his toes on one foot. Since RSH’s use their feet to hunt, he would have never successfully been able to survive on his own.

Takoda

Southern Flying Squirrel

Takoda is the hospital’s first mammal educational animal. Someone brought him in after he ran onto them.  We don’t know how, but Takoda was habituated to people, so he is unable to be released. Given his very friendly personality, his name is a perfect fit; Takoda means “friend to everyone.”

Trinity

Three-toed Box Turtle

Trinity was brought in as a patient, but after examination it was clear that she was a pet that was either dumped or lost. While three-toed box turtles can be found in Florida, they are much farther north and are not native to Brevard County. She helps educate the public on the difference between native and non-native animals and the damage releasing pets into the wild does to the ecosystem.

Carolina

FL Box Turtle

Similar to Bella’s story, Carolina was kept as a pet by someone who found her very young. Unfamiliar with her species, Carolina was improperly housed and fed causing her to have developmental abnormalities. Her shell never properly formed, due to being kept in water, leaving her unable to survive in the wild. Box turtles are a land species and only go into water for drinking or cooling off. Carolina has been with FWH since 2010.

Lt. Dan

Gopher Tortoise

Lt. Dan was brought to FWH in 2010 by FL Fish and Wildlife after being found in a house where the tenants had just been evicted. One of his front legs had been amputated and healed, so it is unknown how he received the injury. Gopher Tortoises are a protected species and must be able to dig burrows to be able to be released.

Batman

Gopher Tortoise

Batman was admitted to FWH as a patient in 2020. Sadly, for an unknown reason, his front left limb was completely crushed. The limb had to be amputated, leaving him non-releasable. Staff affectionately nicknamed him Batman due to the unique marking on his front top scute.

Sriracha

Red Rat Snake

Sriracha is one of our newest animal ambassadors. After sadly losing our last red rat snake, Copper, to cancer in 2020, Sriracha has helped fill a huge loss. She is very calm and makes for a wonderful ambassador. Still a baby, we are excited to watch her grow and help educate thousands of people!

Dijon

Yellow Rat Snake

Dijon is the facility’s first yellow rat snake animal ambassador. He is the “spiciest” of the ambassadors, but does a great job educating the public about the benefits of snakes. It is also wonderful to show the physical differences between he and Sriracha and the personality differences between the two species.

*Photos provided by FWH staff, Phillip Prichard, and John Gardiner