MOUNT DORA BUZZ
  • Home
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Business & Real Estate
    • Outdoor Life
    • Real Estate Buzz
    • Government & Education
    • Kindness Matters
    • Profiles
    • Newsworthy
    • What's Hot...
    • Development Buzz
    • Who Knew?
    • Buzz Polls
  • Calendar
  • Festivals & Events
    • Annual Festivals
    • Monthly Events
    • Local Holiday Events Guide
    • Fall Festivals & Halloween Events
    • Best Local Pumpkin Patches
  • Best of Mount Dora
  • Dining
  • Things to Do
  • Live Music
  • Parking
  • Photos
    • City Scenes
    • Colorful Cottages of Mount Dora
    • Gilbert Park
    • Holiday Lights
    • Doors of Mount Dora
    • Views from Above
    • Palm Island Boardwalk
    • July 4th Americana
    • Vintage Photos
    • Donnelly House
    • Sydonie Mansion
    • The Howey Mansion
  • History
  • Mobile App
  • Contact
    • News Desk
    • Advertising Inquiries
    • Writing Services & Content Marketing
    • Design Services
    • Social Media Services
    • Suggest a Restaurant Visit
    • Submit Pic of the Day
  • Subscribe

Kindness matters

LOCAL FAMILY CARES FOR OVER 300 EXOTIC ANIMALS

4/1/2019

1 Comment

 
PictureABOVE: Animal curator, Ken Purvee Jr., digs to retrieve eggs laid by the Sulcata tortoise eating the cactus.
Decades ago, they could never have known that their work breeding insects for scientific research would lead them down a path of exotic animal conservancy.

After years of rescuing and caring for a cross-section of reptiles and other animals, the Purvee family of Eustis formalized Crazy Critters Conservancy in 2018,   Now the non-profit cares for over 300 turtles, tortoises and other animals.

Animals are brought to the Conservancy for a variety of reasons. Owners of exotic animals may find themselves unable to continue caring for their pets. Other animals may suffer from neglect, illness or injury. Also, healthy animals of invasive species are brought to the facility to prevent euthanization.

The care is not simple. Each species of turtle, for example, requires its different husbandry.  Nature-like enclosures are provided for the animals, and newly received animals are quarantined.   Some birds and reptiles live for over 75 years, so the Purvees’ commitment to the animals’ lifelong care required the younger generation of the family to get onboard.

PictureABOVE: This iguana, an invasive species, came to Crazy Critters as an adult.
In addition to 30 species of turtles, Crazy Critters serves as a forever home for a number of geckos, skinks, monitors, dragons, and birds.   While only a few of the turtle species are endangered, 16 species of animals at the facility are considered at risk of becoming endangered due to international trade.  

“A few species such as the Florida box turtle and Florida softshell turtle, are protected native species and for conservation strictly. We will always release the majority of those offspring in order to help the wild populations,” said Cherrice Purvee, president of Crazy Critters, Inc.   Over 100 offspring have been hatched at Crazy Critters.

“We feel it is important for us to protect them to ensure that the next generation will be able to have them.” said Cherrice of about why they chose turtles as the focus of their animal conservancy.   “The fact that they have been on earth for over 220 million years, yet so many are becoming extinct or near extinct, is something we can not ignore.”

PictureABOVE: Animals, like these African Sulcata tortoises, are kept in enclosures as close to natural settings as possible.
After selling all of their toys--boats, vintage cars, trailers---the Purvees used the proceeds to fund construction of a Crazy Plants Nursery greenhouse in 2017.  To goal was to grow the exotic plants needed to feed the growing number of animals. Now the conservancy hosts plant sale fundraisers throughout the year to help fund the vet bills, daily care and enclosures the animals require.  One local small business, Hometown Market in Eustis, helps by providing the facility steeply discounted produce and additional donations are always needed.

Crazy Critters Inc. does not provide tours to the public, but more information on the conservancy is available here.  
Sign up for the free Mount Dora Buzz' monthly updates  here.     For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit the area's website and download the area's free mobile app.  ​

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
1 Comment

    Archives

    December 2024
    April 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    July 2022
    August 2021
    May 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    September 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Terms of Use
Copyright Mount Dora Buzz 2025
​All rights reserved.



  • Home
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Business & Real Estate
    • Outdoor Life
    • Real Estate Buzz
    • Government & Education
    • Kindness Matters
    • Profiles
    • Newsworthy
    • What's Hot...
    • Development Buzz
    • Who Knew?
    • Buzz Polls
  • Calendar
  • Festivals & Events
    • Annual Festivals
    • Monthly Events
    • Local Holiday Events Guide
    • Fall Festivals & Halloween Events
    • Best Local Pumpkin Patches
  • Best of Mount Dora
  • Dining
  • Things to Do
  • Live Music
  • Parking
  • Photos
    • City Scenes
    • Colorful Cottages of Mount Dora
    • Gilbert Park
    • Holiday Lights
    • Doors of Mount Dora
    • Views from Above
    • Palm Island Boardwalk
    • July 4th Americana
    • Vintage Photos
    • Donnelly House
    • Sydonie Mansion
    • The Howey Mansion
  • History
  • Mobile App
  • Contact
    • News Desk
    • Advertising Inquiries
    • Writing Services & Content Marketing
    • Design Services
    • Social Media Services
    • Suggest a Restaurant Visit
    • Submit Pic of the Day
  • Subscribe