ELDORA — Steve Serwatka, of New Jersey Nature, is the man who takes what animal control officers dish out in the way of unwanted, often exotic or wild animals.
He shares his home and land with owls, snakes, lizards, spiders, a vulture, baby squirrels opossums and skunks, parrots, two alligators and variety of birds. Of late, he finds his finances dwindling and is behind on his mortgage payments.
Serwatka does not receive any funding from the towns that bring him animals. He receives animals from Cape May, Cumberland and Atlantic counties with the bulk of the creatures coming from Middle and Lower townships.
If he loses his home, the animals cannot just be turned loose.
“If I have to leave, I can’t just open the doors and wish everybody luck,” said Serwatka.
Some are blind and no one wants a python or alligator running lose along Route 47. Serwatka said is seeing more exotic animals abandoned when residents lose their homes due to mortgage problems.
“There is nowhere else to send many of these,” he said.
He just received a partially blind, blue and gold macaw that had torn out all its feathers after being abandoned in a house and black vulture that was hit by a car.
“It’s been more animals and less donations, so it’s getting kind of tight,” said Serwatka.
He is a former science teacher and currently a part time veterinary technician. Some of the animal residents of NJ Nature have lived in his home for 20 years.
Once the word spread that Serwatka would care for reptiles and other exotics, animal control officers began to bring him creatures. Some animals are dumped on his property in boxes by their owners, he said.
Serwatka spends about $500 per month feeding the animals out of his own pocket and donations from the public.
“What’s going out is not meeting what’s coming in now,” he said.
Volunteers are building new rehab pens on his property because he is running out of room for the animals. At one time, the state would pick up some animals and move them to other rehab facilities but Serwatka said some state employees no longer have vehicles.
He will bring animals to classrooms, scouting groups, even birthday parties on request. Donations can be made to the non-profit New Jersey Nature, 2353 Route 47, Delmont, N.J. 08314. Visitors are welcome.
For information call, (609) 861-2886.
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
