UF students will be piling venison, green iguana and rattlesnake onto their plates this Saturday at the 25th Annual Wild Game Dinner.
The event, also known as the Beast Feast, is an all-you-can-eat smorgasbord of game and exotic animal meats. The Wildlife Society's UF student chapter will host the event to help fund future conferences. The dinner will be held from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday at UF's Horse Teaching Unit at 1934 SW 63rd Ave. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door.
"People are always interested in novelty," said George Tanner, a professor who teaches at the wildlife ecology and conservation department. "What we serve can't be found at a local grocery."
About 400-500 pounds of alligator, venison, wild hog, green iguana, ostrich, snakes and other animals will be smoked and sautéed into stew, chili and spaghetti. Water buffalo tongue and Watusi, an African cow, will also be served. All of the meat was donated by hunters, ranches and farms throughout Florida and was harvested under state regulations, Tanner said. Vegetarian dishes and desserts will also be served.
