Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Hunt.
Hi Christopher, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve always been fascinated by turtles since the age of seven. The Eastern Box Turtle has always been my favorite due to their gorgeous ornate colors and unique patterns. My dream has always been to have a sanctuary where I could take in sick, injured, or turtles needing a forever home. In 2021, that dream was realized.
I was able to acquire the land I needed to make this dream a reality. Now on 6.5 acres, we have overcome the first huge obstacle and that is space. Turtles need a lot of room to roam. Bigger is always better when it comes to enclosures. I started building one enclosure at a time, one for each turtle that I already had, and just kept going.
What started off as just a handful of turtles has now grown to 76 turtles and tortoises in less than a year.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest challenges are expenses and winter housing. We didn’t expect to grow as quickly as we have, but we’ve learned that there is definitely a need for homes and rescues for turtles and tortoises. Each turtle gets seen by a vet as soon as we take one in. Once it gets a clean bill of health and goes through a quarantine period, it gets introduced to our other residents. That’s what we call the turtles and tortoises living on the ranch, residents. Vet bills add up quickly and we get more sick turtles than we do healthy ones. Then there’s the cost of the materials to build the enclosures and of course food as well.
Winter housing is the latest struggle, but we’re managing so far. Most of the turtles and tortoises that we receive cannot brumate (the reptile version of hibernation) during the colder months, so they have to be housed in a heated area. We have some in heated sheds, some in a heated garage and then the rest are in my basement with a dehumidifier and heater. Of course, when you house them indoors, they need supplemental light as well to regulate their metabolism and vitamin intake. Special UVB bulbs are expensive as well.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I guess I’m a jack of all trades and dabble in multiple career paths, haha. I’m the CEO of Chelonian Ranch, Inc., the nonprofit sanctuary for turtles and tortoises. The sanctuary runs on donations and my own personal income.
I’m also a professional working actor. I’ve been to a number of independent films and television shows. You can search for me on IMDb, Google actor Christopher Hunt, or check out my website at www.actorchristopherhunt.com.
I haven’t been as active as I’d like to be in the last couple of years since I’ve been focusing on my work with the nonprofit, Chelonian Ranch. As for my day job that puts food on the table, I work in the development/HOA field.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Just start talking to people! Facebook and social media are great tools that allow you to connect. I joined a number of Facebook groups that shared my interests and just started talking to people.
In the reptile world, I would go to reptile expos and shows and network. In my acting career, I would simply audition for anything I could, just to get in front of someone. A friend of mine once told me, “persistence will out,” which is another way of saying to stay persistent.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ChelonianRanch.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chelonianranch
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chelonianranch
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chelonianranch
