Turtles and birds and snakes. (Oh, my.)
Those were just some of the exotic animals turned in today during the non-native pet amnesty day held at Busch Gardens.
Organized by the theme park, the city of Plant City and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the day allowed owners to give up their exotic pets with complete amnesty from Florida wildlife regulations. It was part of an effort to prevent the release of unwanted exotic animals, such as Burmese pythons that have been taking over large areas of the Everglades. Many of the 133 species of non-native fish and wildlife established in the wild in Florida resulted from releases by pet owners, Busch Gardens officials say.
"A lot of these are predatory animals and they will attack our Florida wildlife it's a really big issue especially in the everglades," said Busch Gardens director of education and conservation Bill Street.
If released into the wild, Busch Gardens says, many exotic pets can have detrimental effects on native habitats. For example, some improperly discarded exotics can thrive in the Florida ecosystem and out-compete native species for food and habitat. Exotics can hybridize with native species, causing long-term problems.
Street said people turn in the pets for various reasons -- because they're too big, too expensive or too much work..
Busch Gardens receives dozens of calls a year from exotic pet owners hoping to donate their animal to the park, however the park can rarely accept these donations.