Busch Wildlife Sanctuary at Abramson & Schlaggar Reserve, a renowned nonprofit dedicated to the conservation and protection of Florida’s wildlife and natural resources, has officially completed construction of South Florida’s largest wildlife rehabilitation flight complex. The new facility significantly expands the Sanctuary’s ability to rehabilitate large birds and raptors and prepare them for successful return to the wild.

Measuring 120 feet long, 50 feet wide and 18 feet high, the flight complex was designed to provide recovering wildlife with the space and conditions needed to rebuild strength, practice sustained flight and regain the physical conditioning necessary for release. The complex includes multiple specialized rooms, with a long, candy-cane-shaped flight corridor serving as its centerpiece for extended flight conditioning. The space allows large birds — including owls, falcons, hawks, eagles and other raptors — to safely build stamina and strength and to practice making sharp turns. The structure was also engineered to withstand hurricane conditions, strengthening the Sanctuary’s disaster preparedness and ability to safely care for wildlife during severe weather.

The new facility increases Busch Wildlife Sanctuary’s rehabilitation capacity by providing appropriate conditioning space for patients that require extended flight training following injury, illness or other circumstances that have temporarily prevented their return to the wild. The flight complex is also equipped with publicly accessible cameras that can be viewed by audiences around the world via live stream. These cameras provide an opportunity for the community and global viewers to learn more about wildlife rehabilitation while minimizing human interaction with recovering patients.

Viewers should expect that the livestream may sometimes show an empty room. The animals in the flight complex are patients first—not exhibits—and their rehabilitation needs take priority over being visible on camera. An empty screen may be a good sign: a patient could be resting, receiving care elsewhere, or simply not require the flight corridor at that moment. Minimizing human disturbance and providing recovering wildlife with appropriate privacy are essential to the rehabilitation process.

The flight complex was made possible through support from the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners through the Cultural Capital Fund Grant, The Batchelor Foundation, Impact the Palm Beaches, The Dary Foundation and generous private donors. The completion of the facility represents a shared investment in the future of wildlife rehabilitation and conservation in South Florida, providing recovering birds with the specialized space they need to regain their strength and, ultimately, return to the wild.

About Busch Wildlife Sanctuary at Abramson & Schlaggar Reserve
Busch Wildlife Sanctuary at the Abramson & Schlaggar Reserve is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection and conservation of Florida’s wildlife and natural resources. Founded in 1983, the Sanctuary protects and restores native wildlife for the benefit of its unique animals, environment, and people. Our goal is to inspire and educate the community in leading local conservation and wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and release efforts. To learn about Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, visitwww.buschwildlife.org Nurture What’s Wild.

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