PALM HARBOR, Fla. (WFLA) — The non-profit Suncoast Primate Sanctuary Foundation is located in Palm Harbor on Alt-19 south of Klosterman Road.
You may drive by the facility without noticing it at first, but volunteers say it has been operating for decades.
When you first walk in, you will be greeted by a volunteer and given a bag of peanuts to give to some of the animals through a PVC chute.
“That human contact is very important to them,” Suncoast Primate Sanctuary Board Member and Animal Caregiver Ken Peltier said.
The sanctuary is under new management and currently cares for around 100 animals that include monkeys, birds, lemurs and alligators.
“This is a retirement area for animals who are not wanted or needed in other areas. Whether they were owned by families, whether they belonged to other facilities, whether they were in research labs,” Peltier said.
Currently, the non-profit organization is in need of donations to help renovate and update the facility.
Peltier said it would beneficial for the animals to have a Primadome, which is a dome-like structure that would allow the primates to move around with more space.
“The opportunity to have more social interaction with their own species, that to me is the ultimate,” Peltier said. “Climb a pole 20 feet tall, walk on grass. They don’t do that here but we want to give them that opportunity.”
The Suncoast Primate Sanctuary Foundation is open Thursday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can check out their website for more information on how to donate.
