Central Florida zoo program returns indigo snakes to North Florida wild
The Central Florida Zoo is actively involved in a conservation effort focused on breeding and releasing the rare Eastern indigo snake back into its native habitat.
By LeeAnn Huntoon
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EUSTIS, Florida (WESH) — The Central Florida Zoo is actively involved in a conservation effort focused on breeding and releasing the rare Eastern indigo snake back into its native habitat.
This initiative aims to bolster the snake’s declining population and preserve the ecological balance of the region.
Located in Eustis, the zoo is one of several organizations collaborating to breed, raise, and ultimately release the non-venomous snakes primarily in North Florida, their historical territory.
Michelle Hoffman, a field biologist with the Orianne Center for Indigo Conservation, emphasized the significance of these efforts.
“The fact that the Eastern Indigo snake has been in decline for so long… a lot of people have not been fortunate enough to see them in the wild,” Hoffman said. “People who have lived here for a long time… generations and generations of people… they used to report seeing them in their back yard… they used to see them a lot… and you don’t get those reports anymore… so the opportunity to get out and see them in the wild is very rewarding.”
Indigenous to Florida, indigo snakes are known to be formidable predators of other animals, but are typically shy and non-aggressive toward humans.
The Central Florida Zoo’s program plays a crucial role in the broader effort to re-establish these snakes in the wild.
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