BACK TO NATURE WILDLIFE REFUGE 10 YEAR DREAM COMES TRUE

Central Florida's only public, non-profit wildlife refuge and rehabilitation center moves to a new location. Cute animals included!

Back To Nature Wildlife Refuge,Rehabilitation and Education Center

Back To Nature Wildlife Refuge is on a mission to rescue, raise, rehabilitate and release injured and orphaned native Florida wildlife. They provide education about respecting and preserving the environment through their non-releasable permanent resident known as educational ambassadors. BTN is the largest registered non-profit 501©(3) refuge in central Florida and the only one open to the public.

After ten years of planning, BTN’s dream is coming true! They are moving from East Colonial Drive in Bithlo, where they resided for 25 years, to the Lake Nona area. BTN has permanent residents who came to us for a variety of reasons and could not be released into back into the wild. With the help of staff, interns, and volunteers these animals have a forever home with constant love and attention.

Educational Ambassadors

Oliver the orphaned bobcat arrived to BTN in April of 2009, at just two weeks old. The den had been destroyed and his sibling had passed away. His mother never returned to retrieve him. He was separated from her too soon, therefore causing him to imprint on humans immediately. Without any luck finding a suitable “sibling” or surrogate for him, he continued to grow up only knowing humans, prohibiting him from being able to survive on his own. He now lives at BTN as an educational ambassador for his wild relatives.

Oliver today

Spencer, the Marbled Arctic Fox, was abandoned in a pet carrier behind UCF in college housing in November 2007 at 5 months old. Someone found him and called animal services to take him away. A girl who attended UCF saw what was going on and brought him to Back To Nature. Spencer is a "breeder's fox", meant for fur coats and as "pets". A HUGE majority of these "pet" foxes end up in sanctuaries or euthanized because they do not make good pets. You have to hold a class III permit in FL to legally house one. Most of these pet foxes spend their entire lives living in cages because they are destructive, carry a musky odor that cannot be removed, and they are not trainable, like dogs. We have a huge love for Spencer and give him all that we can to keep him happy.

Honeybear and Whimsa, two of the three ring-tailed lemurs enjoying a light snack

Wheems is not releasable because of her crossed beak. This birth defect prevents her from eating properly, so we have to cut her food into tiny pieces

REHABILITATION ANIMALS, a sneak peek

An Eastern Gray Squirrel came in at 2 weeks old with her eyes closed still, bloating and bruising on her stomach. One month later, she is eating on her own and will soon graduate to an outdoor cage to prepare her for the wild.

A mother opossum resting while her young nurse

Raccoon enjoying his new nest that a volunteer made for the group before release.

Lunch time!

A view of BTN's new home and their new neighbors, bald eagle parents!

Back To Nature originally started at a junk yard and was turned into a wildlife rescue facility, operating out of a house that grew to a backyard. Carmen Shaw, the founder started in the early '80s and was incorporated in 1989. The goal for over ten years has always been to relocate the wildlife onto bigger, better land, and to give them larger enclosures. With this new land, the facility can continue to grow, care for more wildlife, and comfortable educate the public in a quiet, natural environment.

Their new location is located at 10525 Clapp Simms Duda Road, Orlando, Fl. 32832 and will be opening to the public shortly! To keep updated and see more photos of these adorable animals, you can follow them on

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Don’t forget to keep updated on their page to find out when they will be opening to the public!