On Wednesday, the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge put out a request for any freezer burned meat that residents might be getting ready to throw out.
The Refuge sees all kinds of animals. Some start out with formula and then grow into eating more fruits and veggies, before moving into the really expensive part of feeding, which is the protein.
“That’s when it gets incredibly expensive,” said Crystie Baker, Executive Director of ECWR. “Our animals don’t care if it’s a little old and their palates aren’t that sensitive.”
As for the type of freezer burned meat, Baker says it can be anything from chicken to steaks to venison. She did note that the meat can’t be seasoned, cooked or cured.
“If there’s hunters that are cleaning out their freezers, and it’s last year’s game meat and they’re not going to eat it, rather than just throwing it away they can put it to good use,” she said.
She also noted that it doesn’t matter if the meat has bones or is boneless.
“We recently found out that one of our fox ambassadors really loves chicken drumsticks,” she said. “She took the drumstick and she played with it for about an hour before she ate it. You just never know what their little personalities are going to favor.”
Interested in donating? Here’s how:
The Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge is asking that you come during their Education Center’s open hours, which is Wednesday-Saturday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM or Sundays from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
“That’s the most ideal time because we have someone in our Education Center who can grab a cart, come out to the car, help them load it up, and get it into the freezer as soon as possible,” said Baker. “And we can give them a tax receipt!”
For more info on donating, click here.
