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Suburban Wildlife Center To Focus More On Local Species

(CBS) -- A north suburban wildlife center is taking the local movement to a new level with some of its exhibits.

The Wildlife Discovery Center in Lake Forest recently sent off to a Kentucky zoo 13 of its non-native animals, including some cobras, vipers and other snakes.

Curator Rob Carmichael says they did it so they can focus on more local species and to spare the expense of keeping a supply of several different kinds of anti-venom around, which range in cost from two thousand dollars to up to $25,000 to treat a single bite.

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He says one anti-venom covers most of the poisonous snakes in North America.

As far as what to do with the empty space, Carmichael says they're moving some of the wildlife around and are looking to acquire more native species.

For now, he says they've identified an American alligator and an injured bald eagle.

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