What do you get when you cross a donkey with a zebra? A zedonk, of course! The owners of the non-profit Chestatee Wildlife Preserve near Dahlonega, Georgia got a big surprise recently when their mama donkey gave birth to her mixed breed foal. Since she was born with striped legs and a solid body, they named the baby Pippi Longstockings. The foal has attributes of both donkey and zebra. Though she sports stripes, she is much less skittish than a zebra and seems not to mind all the attention she is getting.

Can’t see the video above? Click HERE to view on YouTube.

Chestatee Wildlife Preserve is a non-profit wildlife animal rescue operation that is set up like a zoo so that visitors can enjoy their residents. The facility is open to the public 7 days a week Read the rest of this entry »

When John Audubon first visited the Punta Gorda area on Florida’s Gulf coast in the early 19th century, he wrote that wading birds were so numerous that thousands flying overhead transformed daylight into darkness. Yet less than 100 years later the profligate population had been decimated. In small part, the decline was caused by homesteaders moving in by the droves and spoiling habitats. Far more destructive, however, was the quest for plumage to decorate ladies’ hats. Hired by fashion houses in Paris, New York and London, poachers and hunters slaughtered millions of birds in their quest for white nuptial feathers of the great and snowy egrets. By the early 1900′s, only an estimated 500,000 wading birds remained.

In 1918 the Migratory Bird Treaty Act became law and these birds were finally protected. By the 1930′s their numbers had increased to 1.2 million and since the 1970′s they have made a significant recovery. Today, standing on the shores of the Peace River in Punta Gorda, Florida, birds are abundant: egrets, herons, ibis, spoonbills, and wood storks are among the species easily spotted. Yet wading birds, reptiles, and mammals who inhabit the area still face serious threats from mankind. Discarded plastic bags, six-pack plastic rings, and lead sinkers and fishing line lost by fishermen can cause serious damage to animals when swallowed or snagged. Collisions with cars and trucks are a major problem for endangered species such as Florida black bears, Florida panthers, Key deer, American crocodiles, indigo snakes, red-cockaded woodpeckers, and brown pelicans.

Fortunately, Peace River Wildlife Center is there to help. The nonprofit organization, which occupies a small corner of Ponce de Leon Park in Punta Gorda, is dedicated to the rehabilitation, preservation and protection of Charlotte County’s native wildlife. With the exception of a few paid employees, the Read the rest of this entry »