TAMPA, Fla. — The Alligator and Wildlife Discovery Center in John’s Pass is starting to rebuild after it was damaged during a fire in July.
The fire started in the back corner of the building. Owner Sonny Flynn said it caused approximately $2 million in damages and killed more than 100 animals. Of the nine habitat units, three were badly damaged.
As soon as James Dahm heard about the fire, he jumped in to help.
“You never know what could happen or when terrible things like this happen,” he said. “It’s best to get the community together and help as much as possible.”
Dahm has known Flynn for six years, and he repairs the A/C at the discovery center. He loved spending time with the animals when he stopped by. The wildlife center looked much different on Saturday, as Dahm and a handful of other volunteers helped clear out mounds of debris.
“Just trying to get the place reopened,” he said. “I really miss all the animals that were here. I used to hang out with them whenever I would work and they used to get really friendly and it’s a really cool experience hanging out here.”
The past few months since the fire have been challenging for Flynn and her staff. But she’s ready to get her business back up and running.
“This is my passion, my animals,” Flynn said. “I wake up every morning knowing that I am a cancer survivor because of these animals.”
Over the next few weeks, staff and volunteers will paint the walls, as well as build new habitats for the animals. Flynn is looking for as many volunteers as possible to help get the work done.
“I’ve already depleted my 401K,” she said. “I haven’t taken a paycheck in four months to keep my staff afloat and materials are expensive, so the habitats, it’s the donations and volunteers that are going to get us up and running.”
Flynn’s goal is to reopen a handful of exhibits around Christmastime. The animals that made it out of the fire have moved into a temporary facility inside an old bank on Gulf Boulevard in Madeira Beach, which is also open for visitors.
There will be another volunteer session on Monday, November 6 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the facility in John’s Pass. For more information, click here.