FORT WALTON BEACH — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park are offering qualified adopters the chance to take home an exotic pet turned in by those who no longer can keep them.
Exotic Pet Amnesty Days encourage owners to turn in their exotic pets without cost or penalty and discourage the release of non-native species into the wild. It is the first Exotic Pet Amnesty Day to be held in Northwest Florida.
“We are looking for adopters with the knowledge and expertise to care for exotic pets,” said Jenny Novak, who coordinates the FWC’s Exotic Pet Amnesty program. “We expect quite a few nonnative animals to be turned over at the Exotic Pet Amnesty Day in Fort Walton Beach, so we want to make sure we have safe homes for them.”
Adopters must have knowledge of natural history and safe caging requirements for the animals they are interested in adopting. There is no fee for becoming an adopter., but people must be pre-qualified.
Adoption applications are due Oct. 3.
Anyone interested in adopting exotic pets can download the application forms at myfwc.com/nonnatives.
The event will run from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, October 5 at the Gulfarium on Okaloosa Island and is free and open to the public.