BOCA RATON – The Turtle Rehabilitation Center at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center has been closed, a nonprofit announced Friday.
The coastal butler said in a press release that it is closing the center for economic reasons.
“Like many environmental nonprofits, coastal butlers face increasing difficulties in ensuring consistent and sustainable funding,” Shivani Gupta, a member of the Coastal Butler’s Board of Directors, said in a prepared statement. “This difficult decision allowed us to redistribute resources and focus on our long-term commitment to marine conservation education and empower the next generation of marine advocates.”
The coastal butler said the center’s gift shop has also been closed.
The nonprofit said the 13 turtle patients currently being treated in Gumbo Limbo are receiving veterinary care and will be transferred to other licensed turtle rehabilitation facilities when working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in the process.
The coastal butler said three resident sea turtles in the tank at the center of the soup dilemma are still in public view.
The center is operated by the city of Boca Raton. The city said in a statement on its website announcing the closure of rehabilitation facilities that the center “remains fully open and active. The center will continue its conservation and education efforts, including its turtle nesting and hatching programs, youth camps, community education and other popular tourist attractions.”
The city said it is “open and can explore partnerships with other qualified nonprofits that may be interested in continuing on-site turtle rehabilitation and will determine the best use of gift shop space.”
This post originally appeared in Palm Beach Post: Boca umbo Limbo Turtle Rehabilitation Center Closed
