Texas State Aquarium Wildlife Rescue Program Receives Donated Ambulance
September 26, 2022
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX – One retired ambulance will find a new lease on life after the City of Corpus Christi Fire Department graciously donated the vehicle to the Texas State Aquarium (TSA) to support their wildlife rescue efforts. This emergency response vehicle will be renovated by the Aquarium and will be used to transport injured, ill, or stranded wildlife – including shorebirds, sea turtles, and marine mammals.
For the last several years, the Aquarium has utilized several types of vehicles to transport wildlife in peril. As the Aquarium’s rescue program continues to grow and receive more patients, the need for a well-equipped emergency vehicle became imperative. The renovated ambulance will become the Aquarium’s official wildlife emergency response vehicle. TSA will brand the vehicle with its logo and colors and expects to have it ready for use by November of 2022.
“This emergency response vehicle will be a welcomed addition to the aquarium’s Wildlife Rescue Program, and we are grateful to the Corpus Christi Fire Department and the City of Corpus Christi for their generous donation,” said Justin Sefcik, Chief Operating Officer of the Texas State Aquarium. “We appreciate their support of the aquarium’s mission and look forward to renovating the ambulance so it can respond to animals in need of our care.”
The TSA Mobile Wildlife Emergency Response vehicle will not only be used by wildlife rescue staff to respond to various wildlife emergencies but will also become an important educational resource for the community. When the vehicle is not responding to a wildlife emergency, it will be used for educational outreach programs across the state of Texas.
“The Fire Department is excited about the donation of an ambulance to the Texas State Aquarium,” said Robert Rocha, Fire Chief of the Corpus Christi Fire Department. “The ambulance will be refurbished and used to transport animals by the Aquarium to an appropriate medical facility.”
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The Texas State Aquarium (TSA), the Official Aquarium of the State of Texas, is a private, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) institution that is fully accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Its mission is to engage people with animals, inspire appreciation for our seas and support wildlife conservation. TSA, the largest Aquarium in Texas, cares for over 4,000 animals and has been named the #5 Aquarium in North America by USA Today. Learn more at texasstateaquarium.org.
