A to Z Menagerie, Inc.

10/31/2026

10/30/2026

Sneak peak… just in - this juvenile coyote, found with a broken ankle and a downspout around his face. More details to come, right now he needs to be settled in. 🤗😍🐺
Please donate if you can, www.atozmenagerie.org

10/26/2026

It’s Southern two striped walking stick mating season in central Florida. ❤️

10/26/2026

Sippy sip! ❤️🐷

10/24/2026

I know many people hate lubber grasshoppers, but they are a native Florida species and have been here longer than we have. I am happy to share the sanctuary with them. ❤️🦗

10/23/2026

I had a great rescue today, saved before rehabilitation was needed. This barred owl was completely tangled in vines in a palm tree and couldn’t move. The kind resident called the Sheriff’s Office non emergency number and, after the Raptor Center of Tampa Bay was notified and realized the location was in my neighborhood, I was asked to respond. My ladder was a bit too short but using the handle of my net I was able to unhook the 4-5 vines entangling the owl. Thankfully it was Virginia creeper and not smilax (with the nasty thorns) and he flew off uninjured. Wish I got more pictures but I was a bit busy…. 🤣. I love a happy ending!

10/21/2026

I never get enough of our wild piggy friends. They know this is a safe sanctuary and feel comfortable letting their piglets play around me. 😍

10/15/2026

I did not know this! 😳 Did you know sarcoptic mange was *intentionally introduced* by humans in Texas (late 1800s) and Montana (early 1900s) as part of government-sponsored efforts to eradicate wolves and coyotes?❓!!!!!

Historical records trace the spread of this devastating disease to at least two human-led efforts to eliminate wild carnivores.

In Texas, a sheep rancher named Mr. Campbell introduced mange “as a plan to rid the state of noxious wild animals.” (The Fort Worth Daily Gazette, 1893)

In Montana, state veterinarian Dr. Knowles infected wolves and coyotes as part of a government-backed extermination campaign. The program ended in 1916, but the disease persisted. (Journal of Wildlife Diseases)

The methods were brutal: trapping wild animals, pulling pups from dens, inoculating them with mange and distemper, even penning infected dogs with healthy carnivores to spread disease. It wasn’t just unethical, it was ecologically disastrous.

Today, mange still harms wildlife, and humans are still contributing. 🐀 Rodenticides (rat poison) weaken animals’ immune systems, making coyotes, foxes, and bobcats more vulnerable. These toxins also cause deadly secondary poisoning in birds of prey 🦉 and other predators.

While more people now recognize wild carnivores for their intrinsic worth and ecological importance, outdated policies still linger, echoes of a past rooted in fear, not science or compassion. History reminds us to choose science-based, compassionate coexistence and reject practices that continue to harm wildlife and the ecosystems they support.

🐾 How you can help:
✔ Avoid rodenticides
✔ Use humane alternatives (no glue traps!)
✔ Seal entry points and secure attractants
✔ Support natural rodent control by welcoming wild carnivores

🐾 If you see an animal with mange:
Contact your local wildlife rehabilitator before approaching. Search “[Your state] wildlife rehabilitator list” or visit: https://ahnow.org

📷 Karin Saucedo, |

10/07/2026

I found this gorgeous red rat (aka corn) snake in the yard, headed for a dangerous enclosure 🐺. Not wanting her to be eaten I picked her up to find her a safer place in the sanctuary. Now red rat snakes are normally very mellow, gentle snakes but after twining herself through the enclosure hardware cloth and having to be “coaxed” back out she became a bit grumpy. Before I could release her in the safer space she decided to express her displeasure by driving her teeth into my hand 🤣🐍. No real damage done, just a small blood sacrifice, and lovely girl is safely on her way again. The things we do for snakes!

10/04/2026

What a great day!