Alligator & Wildlife Discovery Center Celebrating their 10-year anniversary Story by PETER ROOS Photos by J.R. St. Jean - Suncoast Photos Sonny Flynn is on a roll. Under her supervision and loving care, an old Florida-style tourist attraction has mushroomed into a indoor habitat for hundreds of residents’ exotic pets. Her answer to the shortage of rental cars during COVID-19: “Start a trolley service.” The Alligator Attraction at John’s Pass was founded in 2011. This attraction at Pinellas County’s top tourist destination was a hit with kids of all ages when all you could do was kiss a gator. Due to the immense need for animal welfare, they now serve much more than alligators. The constantly increasing demand for their care and attention changed their focus from attraction to education and conservation. This prompted them to make additions and new developments to their organization to allow them to properly treat and serve their growing collection of rescued animals. Based on the ever-changing species of animals requiring their assistance and nurturing, they formed John’s Pass Rescue in 2019. This charitable 501(c)(3) organization’s mission is to collaborate, communicate, and educate the importance of animal rescue, 16
JANUARY 2022 | ParadiseNewsFL.com
welfare, and conservation. They strive for a world where every animal has a safe and loving forever home. In January 2020, the name was changed to Alligator & Wildlife Discovery Center reflecting the changes occurring. Licensed by the US and Florida Departments of Agriculture, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the primary goal is to provide humane and professional care for pet surrenders and orphaned wildlife that cannot be returned safely to their natural habitat. The center is home to over 250 animals and aquatic life. Their animal family members come to them from various sources such as Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), wildlife and reptile rescues, and individual owners that can no longer care for their pets. Equally important, the Alligator & Wildlife Discovery Center strives to provide education to the public through on-site and off-site programs about the natural history, importance of, and ways in which we can coexist with the
