South Florida Wildlife Center’s mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and release orphaned or injured wildlife 

South Florida Wildlife Center, is the highest-volume wildlife hospital in Florida, admitting between 10,000-12,000 animals each year.  Our mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and release injured and orphan wildlife in South Florida, and to educate about wildlife issues with the public at large.  Our 4.1 acres facility in Fort Lauderdale is centrally located in the service area of Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami Dade counties. Founded in 1969, for 53 years, SFWC has served a vital role in South Florida. 

More than ninety percent of the animals who come into our center suffer from injuries that are the result of negative interactions with humans. To that end, we also work to educate the public about the important role wild animals play in the balance of our ecosystem, and how to facilitate peaceful cohabitation as urbanization continues to encroach into wild animals’ natural habitat. Our education programs touch every member of our Community building the capacity of wildlife care in the field and in our hospital. We also offer training for interns, externs, students, and citizen scientists that includes hands-on experience, working side-by-side with our veterinary staff and wildlife rehabilitators.

Wildlife in our care benefit from state-of-the-art veterinary diagnostics and professional medical treatment in our well-appointed hospital that contains an intensive care unit, hospitalization wards, and a surgical suite. An indoor nursery focuses on young wildlife needing hand-rearing with specialized diets and enrichment activities that promote healthy development.  Numerous species-specific outdoor rehabilitation habitats mimic natural settings, allowing us to monitor wild patients and evaluate readiness for release. Rehabilitation enrichment tools and techniques build the skills needed for animals to successfully live in the wild again. 

SFWC treats over 350 different species and provides highly sought-after practical experience for interns, externs, and volunteers. Hands-on learning in wildlife medicine facilitated by experts in the field attracts veterinary, biology, and conservation students nationally and internationally. 

SFWC is involved in a statewide “Pier initiative” to reduce hook-and-line injuries to wildlife at fishing piers; additionally, we have obtained a Federal Bird Banding License to band Burrowing Owls as part of an effort to help protect this species of special concern; and have secured a permit to track Gopher Tortoises after release to aid in the protection of this federally threatened species. 

South Florida Wildlife Center’s operations are the cornerstone for critical wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and release, as well as outreach activities, volunteer training, and public information and advice about why wildlife matters. The SFWC has also obtained a State permit for Ambassador animals for non-releasable species to further educate the community on the importance of wildlife. 


South Florida Wildlife Center

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South Florida Wildlife Center