The conservation work happening at the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens is getting national attention thanks to a recent episode of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild that aired on NBC stations across the country.
The episode featured the groundbreaking efforts of the Zoo’s Orianne Center for Indigo Conservation (OCIC), highlighting how scientists and conservationists are working to restore populations of the Eastern indigo snake — North America’s longest native snake species.
Led by Dr. James Bogan, the OCIC has become a national leader in Eastern indigo snake conservation and captive breeding efforts. The nationally televised feature showcased the importance of protecting the Eastern indigo snake and preserving the ecosystems it depends on to survive. During the NBC feature, Dr. Bogan shared insights into the challenges and successes involved in restoring Eastern indigo snake populations.
The OCIC is the only captive breeding facility for the Eastern indigo snake dedicated exclusively to restoring populations in areas where the species has disappeared. Through conservation, breeding and reintroduction efforts, the OCIC works to help re-establish this threatened species throughout its former range in the southeastern United States.
The Eastern indigo snake is listed as a threatened species throughout the Southeast Coastal Plain and is now primarily found only in southern Georgia and peninsular Florida. Population declines have been driven by habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and the decline of gopher tortoise communities, which provide critical shelter for the species.
At the OCIC, outdoor habitats are used for the breeding population to create a more natural environment that supports long-term breeding success. Each habitat includes underground bunkers that simulate gopher tortoise burrows, providing cool retreats in the summer and warmer shelter in colder months, while natural seasonal weather changes, shifting daylight cycles and ultraviolet radiation help encourage successful reproduction.
The Zoo’s conservation impact is being seen in the wild through the work of the OCIC. Breeding season for Eastern indigo snakes runs from October through January, with females laying between four and 13 eggs from April through June. After approximately 100 days of incubation, the eggs hatch in the summer. The hatchlings are carefully monitored and cared for at the OCIC for about a year before typically being transferred to a partner agency for another year of growth and preparation prior to release.
After two years, the snakes are released at Conecuh National Forest in Alabama or The Nature Conservancy’s Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve in the Florida Panhandle. In April 2025, the OCIC released 42 Eastern indigo snakes at The Nature Conservancy site, followed by an additional 44 snakes released in May at the Alabama site. This marks the highest number of Eastern indigo snakes released in a single year and brings the total number of snakes returned to their native habitat to nearly 500.
The success of these efforts is being documented in the wild. The 2024-2025 winter-spring survey identified a female snake originally released in 2019, along with 19 other snakes released between 2020 and 2024. Researchers have also observed a six-foot-long male and two wild-born hatchlings, signaling continued progress toward establishing self-sustaining populations in their native range.
This long-term reintroduction program is part of a collaborative effort involving numerous conservation partners, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Auburn University, The Nature Conservancy, Zoo Atlanta and several additional organizations dedicated to restoring healthy, sustainable populations of Eastern indigo snakes throughout the southern United States.
Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild continues the legacy of the iconic wildlife television series by showcasing conservation success stories and the people working to protect endangered species around the world. Hosted by Peter Gros and Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, the series airs nationwide during NBC’s “The More You Know” programming block.
Learn more about the OCIC and Eastern indigo snake conservation efforts click here. To watch the full episode “Radical Reptiles” that aired 5/9/26, click here.
