Frequently Asked Questions

What is Florida Wild Mammal Association Inc (FWMA)?

Florida Wild Mammal Association (FWMA) is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of injured/orphaned wildlife. FWMA is equally committed to educating the public on wildlife issues.

How and when did FWMA start?

FWMA was incorporated in August 1994 and moved to Wakulla County in 1995. FWMA was founded by Chris and Mike Beatty as a place to bring sick, injured and orphaned wildlife in need of treatment and care until recovered and subsequently released back into their natural habitat.

Who runs FWMA?

FWMA is run by a board of directors. Chris Beatty is the Executive Director. She and her family own and live on the property and are the main caregivers of the animals. The facility is maintained through the efforts of participants in the FWMA Youth Education Program. It is only because of the hard work of students and other young people in this program that FWMA is able to care for the many wildlife patients that are brought into the facility every day. The Youth Education Program is in turn supported by dedicated volunteers who help by cleaning cages, picking up supplies, presenting educational programs, animal rescue, performing bookkeeping functions, supporting fundraising events, preparing publications, and helping with the general care of the animals. Through the services of both the young people and volunteers, FWMA is able to remain open and care for the growing number of animals it receives each year. Thank goodness for these very special people who give so freely of their time to help our community.

Where is FWMA located?

FWMA is located on the south side of Crawfordville, Florida in rural Wakulla County on 6-plus acres. The center provides wildlife rescue services and education programs to Wakulla County and four additional rural, coastal counties including Jefferson, Taylor, Franklin and sections of Leon County. This area of Florida extends from Perry to Port St Joe and is commonly known as the Eastern Big Bend. The property was rezoned as a wildlife hospital in 1996. The physical address is 198 Edgar Poole Road, Crawfordville, FL, 32327. The facility consists of 28 outdoor enclosures, three and one-half acres of deer pens, a small kitchen/laundry room, a baby bird room, an isolation room and a medical room.

How to contact FWMA

By phone: (850) 363-2351

• 378 wild birds (including hawks, owls, songbirds, seabirds and water fowl)

• 328 mammals (including deer, opossums, squirrels, flying squirrels, beavers and bobcats)

• 25 reptiles (including box turtles, gopher tortoises and water turtles)

• 31 exotics & farm animals (including turkeys, geese, pigs, ducks and exotic turtles)

More than sixty-three percent (63.6%) of the animals brought to the facility were released back into the wild or were transferred to other permitted wildlife sanctuaries. Over eight percent (8.7%) remained in care at FWMA. Overall, seventy-ninepercent (79%) of the animals brought to FWMA survived.

What is the charge for taking care of wildlife patients?

There is no charge to bring any animal to FWMA for treatment. Animals are treated until they are recovered and ready to be released. For those with injuries considerable enough to prevent their return into their natural habitat, FWMA either places them with another permitted education facility or provides a permanent home at FWMA where they often become the stars of our educational programs. Most of the animals brought to FWMA are sick or injured and require veterinary care, natural diets and special caging. The cost of running the facility is significant. All donations are greatly appreciated and are tax deductible.

How many animals are treated at FWMA each year?

Animal interactions with humans increase proportionately as the population grows. Interactions with people, domestic pets, man-made structures as well as being displaced by development are the main causes of injuries to our wild neighbors. FWMA provided care for almost 800 animals in 2012 and is anticipating a caseload of over 1000 wildlife patients in 2013 - an incredible increase when compared to statistics in 1995 when we treated 73 animals.

What types of injuries are most common in the animals FWMA receives?

Wildlife injuries, such as being hit by cars, caught in fences, caught by cats or dogs, are becoming part of our daily caseload. In most cases animals become sick, injured or orphaned due to interaction with humans and/or their pets. Natural disasters such as the wrath of storms that have ravaged the Florida Panhandle are just as deadly to wildlife as they are to humans. We also see many animals caught in fishing lines, shot, made sick from pollutants, and hung in fences. Although most of our patients are brought in because of the aforementioned reasons, we have also provided care for animals suffering from West Nile, Distemper, Tetanus and Lung Flukes – these animals are but a small percentage of our overall intake. FWMA works closely with Wakulla County Health Department and Wakulla County Animal Control during outbreaks of any disease.

What is the busiest time of year for FWMA?

FWMA maintains a full schedule year round. But our busiest time of the year is from April through September and is what we refer to as “Baby Season.” An assortment of orphaned wildlife is brought to the center during this time. Many of these patients are baby birds who require hand-feeding every 20 minutes from sun up to sun down. Therefore, the nursery remains open from 7am to 7pm everyday until Baby Season ends. At the end of Baby Season, the nursery is closed. The nursery requires 13 staff hours per day.

The main facility is open year round and requires 12-13 staff hours per day to maintain numerous outdoor habitats and the medical room. Baby squirrels, baby opossums, baby foxes, baby raccoons and baby deer arrive on a daily basis too, dehydrated and in need of continual 24-hour care. The phone literally rings non-stop - this is a great time to volunteer!!! Along with feeding the patients, all their cages must be cleaned on a daily basis too.

Does FWMA offer any education programs?

Our organization offers the local community a wide variety of educational programs. The FWMA Youth Education Program is administered at our center and provides young people with the unique opportunity to learn about wildlife while working in a hands-on environment. Features of this program include:

• Outstanding Wildlife Learning Students (OWLS): FWMA offers a work program for youths (ages between 16 and 25) who are chosen from our diverse volunteer programs and are in need of the financial support we can offer in exchange for taking care of the animals and their habitats.
• Scholarship Service Hours: FWMA is approved to provide local students with the opportunity to earn community service hours towards various scholarships.
• Juvenile Justice: FWMA partners with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice to allow young adults to complete their court-ordered community service hours while learning useful vocational and life skills.
• Second Chance Program: This program is offered through the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Department and allows children or teenagers who have encountered problems with the law to perform community service hours to keep a conviction from appearing on their record by working at FWMA under close supervision by our staff.
• Exceptional Student Education Program: The Wakulla Employability Skills Training (WEST) Program is a locally run program that provides training and mentoring to students with disabilities at Wakulla High School. The students who work at FWMA are given the opportunity to reach their full potential while learning important vocational and life skills.