Primate Sanctuary Desperately Needs Donations During Shutdown

PALM HARBOR, FL — It's hard to tell who misses visitors to the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor the most — the chimps, orangutans and monkeys who call the sanctuary home or the volunteers of the nonprofit facility who count on the public's donations to keep the sanctuary afloat.

Like all zoos and animal parks in the state, the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary was forced to close to visitors by order of the governor during the coronavirus pandemic. The result has been devastating for the facility, which receives no local, state or federal funding.

Founded 70 years ago, the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary at 4600 Alternate U.S. 19 in Palm Harbor is a second-chance home for more than 120 animals including orangutans, chimps, monkeys, alligators, tortoises, snakes and exotic birds.

Many of these animals are rescues from laboratories or the film industry. Others were given up by owners who realized that caring for an exotic pet was much more involved than they imagined.

While lacking the panache of facilities like Busch Gardens or ZooTampa, its nonprofit foundation said it serves as a much-needed sanctuary for animals with nowhere else to go.

"The sanctuary provides these magnificent animals with a safe haven and forever home to live out their lives in peace and with dignity," said park manager Debbie Cobb. "Our volunteers work seven days a week to provide clean enclosures, a well-balanced and nutritional diet, enrichment activities, exemplary health care, and more. Many of the animals are elderly and require special attention. In fact, the sanctuary has a few residents that have lived there since the 1960s."

Spring is traditionally the sanctuary's busiest time of year and, therefore, the most lucrative, said Cobb. The sanctuary depends on the tax-deductible donations it receives from spring visitors to keep the facility operating throughout the year.

"With the current state of events has come a dramatic decrease in visitors, donations and revenue," said Cobb. "We need help."

She said some supporters of the sanctuary have been leaving donations of food and other supplies at the front gate during the closure. But what's needed most is hard, cold cash.

"It costs thousands of dollars each month just to maintain the sanctuary, and we are working to reduce our expenses wherever possible," she said. "Regardless, basic needs such as food, medicine, veterinary care and utilities add up very quickly. We have weathered many storms, but we have never witnessed anything quite like this."

Run by the nonprofit Suncoast Primate Sanctuary Foundation, the 12-acre facility was founded by Robert and Mae Noelle in 1948 as Noelle’s Ark.

Cobb, along with her mother and uncle, inherited the facility when her grandmother, Anna Mae Noelle, died in 2000.

To help pay the bills, the sanctuary opened to the public in 2008, taking admission at the gate to provide educational tours and animal encounters.

To donate to the sanctuary, click here.