Flamingo Gardens gets new resident in Davie

DAVIE, Fla. — Flamingo Gardens, a botanical garden and wildlife sanctuary in Davie, welcomed a new resident.

Miranda DePalma, a wildlife supervisor at Flamingo Gardens, introduced “Sabal,” a 6-month-old puma.

“She’s a very playful kitten just like your house cats, very playful, very curious,” DePalma said. “She likes to make sure she can see everything that’s going on and jump.”

DePalma is rambunctious and loves to play with a big red ball that simulates hunting.

“She is currently learning how to sit, how to stand, how to show us her teeth, so we can do any kind of dental work and even allow us to clip her nails,” DePalma said.

“Sabal” was born at a facility in Georgia.

“Since we recently lost our other cat, we really needed it for our education program to teach people the importance of the Everglades, and you really need to have that animal for them to see for it to really sink in,” said Michael Ruggieri, Flamingo Gardens animal care director.

Flamingo Gardens has a veterinary facility similar to an emergency room. Sandra Lezcano is a licensed rehabber at Flamingo Gardens.

“I love being a part of the rehab process from beginning to end,” Lezcano said. “I love seeing how they progress, I love seeing them overcome their challenges, and I love seeing them go back to the wild. Nothing is sweeter than that moment where they leave, and they never look at you again.”

There are more than 300 animals, including 90 species, on the 45 acres of land, which also has 10,000 different trees, plants, and flowers.

“The beauty of this place is just unbelievable,” Ruggieri said. “Alligator is a keystone species; they protect all the bird rookeries. We wouldn’t have all these birds if it weren’t for alligators. You know that it is one of the most important animals we have here! God put these animals on this planet first; this is their home, we came later, we are the guests in their home.”

For more information about visiting the property at 3750 South Flamingo Road, visit this page.