Pittsboro, N.C. — An exotic animal sanctuary received enough donations to replace a broken cooler that stores meats and fruits for its animals.

"We have been absolutely amazed at the speedy and overwhelmingly generous response from the public to our plea for help last week," said excutive director Pam Fulk.

The 20-year-old compressor for the Carnivore Trust's walk-in cooler went kaput last week, threatening to spoil more than 100 boxes of bananas and other fruit.

The nonprofit received more than $14,000 in cash and other in-kind donations this past week, said Fulk. The animals' food supply will be kept fresh by a new walk-in cooler and back-up refrigeration unit, Fulk said.

Robert Rehkop of C.C. Dickson, Phil Spaulding of Cold Shot Refrigeration and Mark Herman of MSH Consulting Group are all providing products and service for free or at deep discounts, said Fulk.

The CPT houses 85 animals on its 32-acre compound on Hank's Chapel Road south of Pittsboro, from tigers to kinkajous, a tropical cousin of the raccoon, to a binturong, a Southeast Asia bearcat.