All God’s creatures: Large and small
Elmira’s Wildlife Sanctuary fall fundraisers being planned
By STEPHEN FLANAGAN JACKSON
Father Tony Ginnamore blesses Ruffee the lemur.
PHOTOS BY STEPHEN FLANAGAN JACKSON
In the noble tradition of his fellow Italian Giovanni Pietro Bernardone, aka St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226), Father Tony Giannamore recently blessed some 40 animals with holy water on a hot and humid Sunday afternoon at Elmira’s Wildlife Sanctuary just south of Sun City Center in Wimauma.
Father Giannamore is a priest at the mission of Our Lady of Guadalupe on U.S. 301 near the sanctuary. He beams with delight as he pauses at each animal’s cage and dispenses the blessings to lemurs, parrots, tigers, leopards, bears, wolves, tortoises, bobcats, assorted feather and fur friends.
St. Francis of Assisi, of course, is the humble patron saint of animals, memorialized in the ubiquitous small garden statues of his likeness with birds and animals in his hand and gathered lovingly at his feet.
Robin Greenwood is the current president of Elmira’s Wildlife Sanctuary. Elmira the bear still resides on the premises. Greenwood’s late husband and his business partner started rescuing animals in the ’90s. They passed away, one in 2006 and the other in 2007, and left the animals to Greenwood. The partner’s family didn’t want the animals on their property anymore and asked Greenwood to move them.
She moved to the sanctuary’s current home in a well-kept clearing just south of the Little Manatee River State Park in March 2008 where she purchased the property so the animals are no longer in danger of having to move again.
Elmira’s Wildlife Sanctuary owner Robin Greenwood with Elmira, the sanctuary’s namesake.
Elmira’s Wildlife Sanctuary is a nonprofit purposed to provide continuing care, life management and enrichment to exotic and wild animals that need a home. Elmira’s also provides educational opportunities and programs to increase community awareness of the needs of these colorful animals and birds. Most of the 40 or so creatures come from private owners unable to care for them, or from facilities that have closed for various reasons.
Greenwood, who has developed a close, endearing, first-name relationship with all of the critters, said: “As a true sanctuary, we do not buy, sell, breed or allow public contact with our animals. We also don’t take them offsite except for veterinary purposes. We want to give the animal as close to a normal life as possible. All were born in captivity and are unsuitable for release in the wild.”
Since the animals have limited space, the sanctuary is currently fundraising to expand several of the habitats. Plans are being finalized for a two acres-plus expansion for Stanley the grizzly bear. A half-acre area around a pond is being prepared for the black bears — all older girls. Four half-acre tiger habitats are in the works next.
Bulba is one of the orange tigers at the sanctuary.
Greenwood points out that the sanctuary must have money to pay people to construct these additions, improvements and expansions, but hopes to have volunteers to build part of the others. Quotes for the grizzly enclosure are starting at $80,000 just for the fencing. A 1,200-square-foot enclosure for a tiger (including night house, etc.) starts at around $16,000. Funding for these types of projects come from a variety of sources. Elmira’s counts on a mix of grants, private matching donations, individual donations, and fundraisers specifically for the projects.
Colorful, loud parrots like the attention from Father Ginnamore’s blessing.
Contemplating all that, Greenwood said, “We are just starting fundraising for these projects, and we are working on grants at the moment, but will be having some fundraisers now that the weather is finally cooling off a bit.”
Elmira’s Wildlife Sanctuary has day-to-day costs, which are covered by individual donations and tour income. Tours are on Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and the first Sunday of the month at 12:30 and 2 p.m. A 2 p.m. Saturday tour will start in November. Greenwood has compiled a wish list on Amazon Smile (go to www.smile.amazon.com) where anyone can log in and search the lists for Elmira’s Wildlife Sanctuary. Also, Amazon Smile donations can be designated for Elmira’s.
Greenwood added, “No matter what day it is, we, and our animals, can always use apples, bananas, grapes, bleach, paper towels, small shrub rakes, garden tools, battery-operated weed eaters, and I can go on and on.”
The “forever” home for the animals is an all-volunteer sanctuary that is always looking for individuals or groups willing to commit to working a few days a month. Greenwood urges anyone interested to send in an application posted at www.elmiraswildlife.org. Schedule private tours, educational tours, and birthday parties through the website. There are cages, but this does not deter the feelings and sentiment between human and animal at Elmira’s Sanctuary.
