Central Florida Zoo hosts pet amnesty day on Saturday

SANFORD, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - Parrots, snakes, lizards and more are welcome Saturday at the Central Florida Zoo. 

Officials are holding a pet amnesty day, a time when anyone can safely turn in unwanted, exotic pets.

“Anyone who has an exotic pet they can't keep for any reason, even if it's held illegally, can come to the zoo and surrender it to us, and we will find a new home with our pre-approved adopters for that animal,” said Jenny Novak, an FWC wildlife biologist.

Saturday’s event lasts from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

After 2 p.m., the animals that get turned in will get paired with people to adopt them.

Zoo officials say it's an important way to keep often invasive species from getting released into the wild. 

“When you have something not from the area, it just puts all the native species at risk. They just get out... competed against,” said Central Florida Zoo CEO Dino Ferri.

Officials working the event say they may not accept pond turtles, like red-eared sliders or yellow-bellied sliders. 

They say they always get a huge influx of those animals, and they were running out of adopters for them.

The event is open to the public. 

If you can't make Saturday's event, you can always contact The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission directly to find a new home for any exotic animals at www.myfwc.com/nonnatives, or by calling 888-483-4681.