Beer, raptors and spiders mix at First Magnitude’s Pints ​​for Predators

Patrick Bradley, board member of Wrede's Wildlife Center in Sebring, holds Thunder, a bald eagle, during the eighth annual Pints ​​and Predators at First Magnitude Brewery. Bradley works with birds of prey and pairs them with veterans suffering from PTSD as a form of approved therapy.

Spiders, birds, snakes, possums and beers, oh my.

Visitors to First Magnitude Brewery in Gainesville were able enjoy exotic wildlife Saturday along with kicking back and enjoying a beer at the eighth annual Pints ​​and Predators event.

The Pints ​​and Predator is an educational festival and fundraiser for local wildlife conservation organizations.

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Ten wildlife conservation organizations, including the Alachua Audubon Society, Thunder and Wrede’s Wildlife Center, Sunrise Wildlife Rehabilitation and the Rattlesnake Conservancy, brought animals such as a bald eagle, barred owl and a red-tailed hawk.

“It’s so awesome to see how much Gainesville supports this event and our local rehabbers,” said Ingrid Scales, co-director of Pints ​​and Predators. “We’ve always had a fantastic turnout and it’s a really fun event people look forward to.”

Scales and her husband Bubba Scales began Pints ​​and Predators eight years ago at their own local wildlife shop called Wild Birds Unlimited which was sold on Sept. 1, 2021.

“We promoted one of these events in the store eight years ago, that was so successful … and we had hundreds of people show up and it couldn’t handle it in the store. We realized that, hey, we really want to do this on an even bigger scale, but we need a venue that can handle it,” Mr. Scales said.

Quinn Regalado, 6, looks at jumping spiders that are a part of Lisa Anne Taylor's lab at the University of Florida during the eighth annual Pints ​​and Predators at First Magnitude Brewery in Gainesville on Saturday.

Simon McClung, director of sales at First Magnitude, said the event gives the brewery the opportunity to engage with the children in their community and also help protect the environment.

“When we first opened we wanted to be known for great beer, great community, and the love of the great outdoors … but anything that helps promote and protect the wonderful natural resources we have here in Gainesville,” McClung said.

Gabriela Mclexkey came to Pints ​​and Predator with her mom Nancy Waldron and her son Nico, she said, her one-year-old son loves animals and she wanted to expose him to something different.

“It’s (the event) t’s very important because a lot of species are endangered now and we really need to start treating our planet better and because that affects our animals,” Mclexkey said.

Correction: An original version of this article said that Wild Birds Unlimited was closed, when in fact it was sold on Sept. 21, 2021 to the Gilmour family and is still operational at, 4212 NW 16th Blvd .

A Chilean rose hair tarantula was on display during the eighth annual Pints ​​and Predators at First Magnitude Brewery in Gainesville on Saturday.

The post Beer, raptors and spiders mix at First Magnitude’s Pints ​​for Predators first appeared on Daily Florida Press.

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