VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A wildlife sanctuary in Volusia County has saved thousands of sick and injured animals. Samadhi Wildlife has been operating in Ormond Beach for the past seven years.
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Since starting Samadhi Wildlife, Dawn Barbone has nursed hundreds of animals back to health and successfully released them into their natural habitats. Barbone serves animals large and small, from bats to bears and everything in between.
“We rehabilitate all native Florida mammals. We get bobcats, coyotes, otters, any mammal that you can think of is what comes through here,” said Barbone.
Samadhi is licensed through the state, so the organization gets calls and cases directly from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
But lately, Barbone said animals seem to be coming in through a variety of sources.
“The need is tremendous. With the amount of construction that’s going on and habitat destruction, these animals have nowhere to go so places like samadhi wildlife are critical,” she explained.
Her partner Jesse Heilman explained the enclosures they provide keep the animals as close to their natural habitats as possible, which is an important part of the rehab process.
“When they’re around each other, they learn from each other and learn by experimenting. So, as they grow a little older, we move them into different enclosures, and we expose them to different elements they’re going to be using in the wild,” said Heilman.
Because samadhi is a nonprofit, the mission takes community support. Heilman and Barbone hope more people recognize the need and step up to help.
But even if that doesn’t happen, the pair promises to do their part.
“For me there is no greater purpose, I absolutely love what I am doing, I don’t care if I ever get paid ever again,” said Heilman.
“To know that you were able to save this animal and give it a second chance to thrive again in the wild, it’s hard to explain. It is the most fulfilling feeling,” said Barbone.
If you want to help Samadhi Wildlife, you can reach out to Dawn at samadhiwildlife@yahoo.com. There are also direct links to donate on the sanctuary’s Instagram page. https://www.instagram.com/samadhi_wildlife/?hl=en
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