Asheville's Wildlife Park
Plan your next visit at wildwnc.org! The WNC Nature Center is Asheville's premier wildlife park!
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This page is managed by the Friends of the WNC Nature Center, a 501c3 whose mission is to support and grow the facilities and programming of the WNC Nature Center through fundraising, events, membership and other outreach initiatives.
✔️Vote daily for the WNC Nature Center in AVL Today's Best of Awards! It's open through Sept 20.
You can find us in these categories:
🐾Family Friendly Venue
🐾Kid Friendly Venue
🐾Road Trip Destination
https://avltoday.6amcity.com/todays-best
Mark your calendars! The Friends of the WNC Nature Center will be at Appalachian Mountain Brewery's Oktoberfest on Saturday, September 21 from noon to 7 p.m. Enjoy German-style food and beer at their Mills River location where we'll be hosting games and symbolic animal adoptions.
A portion of event proceeds will benefit the Friends. Prost!
46 N Mills River Rd, Mills River, NC
Beginning Sunday, Sept 8, the Day Room of Appalachian Station will be closed as we renovate habitats. This should take about 2 weeks. The Night Room (home to Meatloaf the hellbender and our snakes) will remain open!
Raise your glass (and funds) for the Nature Center! When Highland Brewing, a Nature Center Corporate Partner, asked us to name their new grapefruit Kolsch, we answered, not surprisingly, with WILD enthusiasm! After brainstorming dozens of nature-themed names for their bright and tropical brew, the winner was Ruby Red Wolf!
Starting today, you’ll be able to sip Ruby Red Wolf at Highland Brewing. What’s more, they’re donating $1 for every pour of this fan-favorite brew to the Nature Center. Funds raised for the Nature Center support the important work we do, like protecting critically endangered Red Wolves. Head down to Highland Brewing Company this month, have a pint, and toast to the Nature Center!
Pictured here are Red Wolves --one of them named Ruby-- born at the Nature Center last year.
This is our September Photo Contest winner! Congrats to Nancy who captured this precious cougar cuddle!
To enter our monthly contest and get your chance to win tickets to the WNC Nature Center, email your photos to [email protected]. Submissions must be taken on Nature Center grounds, and people pictured must give permission. Photos may be used for marketing in the future.
The cat's out of the bag! It's bobcats Tufts and Kohana!
It's been a while since we've done a , but we think it's about time! Tell us which Nature Center animal this is in the comments section. We'll post this answer this afternoon!
The WNC Nature Center is WIDE OPEN for Labor Day! Come see us from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m, with last entry at 3:30 p.m.
Our September photo contest is now live! Vote for your favorites by liking them. In a week, the photographer with the most-liked picture will receive two passes to the WNC Nature Center!
You can enter next month's contest by emailing your photos to [email protected]. Photos must be taken on Nature Center grounds, and people pictured must give permission. Submissions may be used for marketing in the future.
It's , a time to recognize the incredible work that zoos and nature centers do to protect our planet's most vulnerable species. At the WNC Nature Center, conservation is at the heart of what we do. Through AZA SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction), we are doing our part to protect animals like red pandas for future generations.
Corporate Friends – Wildly Supportive: First Citizens Bank
Q: If you could be any animal at the WNC Nature Center, what would it be?
A: Red panda
Q: What's the most interesting animal you've spotted in the wild?
A: Eastern screech owl
Q: What do you love most about Western NC?
A: The mountains
Answers by Graham Duncan, Financial Services Representative
Corporate Friends are the Sponsors and Partners who help to support and amplify the mission of the Nature Center.
***UPDATE: The power is on and we are open!***Due to a power outage, the Nature Center is temporarily closed. We expect to open at noon today, August 28, 2024. Please read the comments section of this post for further announcements.
These budding philanthropists put the fun in FUNdraiser! And the results were SWEET! Elle, Cooper, Kate and Watson are such big fans of the Nature Center that they decided to raise money for us. With their sales of chocolate cupcakes and, not just any lemonade, but organic brown sugar lemonade they raised $52. Our animals thank you!
A group of owls is called a parliament. Did you get it right... without Googling it?
So why a parliament? It may be because owls, symbols of wisdom in Greek mythology, are considered intelligent just like the smarties of ancient Greece who gathered in parliament. Do you think our barn owl, Boris, is following all of this?
Fish travel in schools and a group of crows is called a murder. But what do you call a group of flying owls (Yes, they do gather together on occasion.)? If you know the answer, tell us in the comments! We'll post the answer in a separate post this afternoon.
Oh my, did you hear the news? We won First in Place for Outdoor Fun (12th year in a row), First in Daytrip for Kids (5th year in a row), and Third Place to Connect With Nature Within Asheville City Limits in the Mountain Xpress' Best of Asheville poll!
Thanks to our amazing community for voting!
Corporate Friends – Wildly Supportive: Josh Heald of Bigfoot-long. If you attended any of our Brews & Bears events this summer, you likely spotted Josh serving up his delicious hotdogs. Learn a little about Josh with our Q&A which he enthusiastically answered. www.bigfootlongs.com
Q: If you could be any animal at the WNC Nature Center, what would it be?
A: Probably the otter Obi-Wan. Not only am I a huge Star Wars fan but let’s face it, he gets all the attention. Kind of a ham like me 🤣
Q: What's the most interesting animal you've spotted in the wild?
A: It was on the bank of the Thorn Apple River in Michigan. That animal would be a mink. A tiny ferret-like creature. Something you don’t see every day.
Q: What do you love most about Western NC?
A: The vast diversity of people and animals. Not to mention there’s always something to do. Hike, bike, boat you name it we have it all!
Corporate Friends are the Sponsors and Partners who help to support and amplify the mission of the Nature Center.
It's Here are 5 fun facts about our loyal farm friends.
1. Goats have been with humans for a LONG time. There’s evidence in western Asia that they’ve been domesticated since 7,000 B.C.!
2. They’re A+ Students. Goats are smart and can learn things like opening gate latches.
3. Try counting goats next time you’re ready for bed. They can leap over fences just as well as sheep! Some breeds can jump up to 5 feet.
4. Angora goats, like Bill pictured here, have attractive ringlets of soft, fine hair. They’ve been bred primarily for their fleece, called mohair, which is in high demand in the textile field.
5. They’re weed-whacking wonders! Goats will gobble up kudzu, poison ivy and other unwanted growth on hills and other hard-to-reach places. Thank you, goats!
Exciting changes are coming to the Nature Center! To prepare for the next phase of construction, a section of our guest path in the barnyard and aviary area will be closed for the next few weeks. You'll still be able to view the aviary, and our barn animals will be making use of a temporary corral across from the mining sluice. The Bear Boardwalk is open and will allow guests access to other areas of the park.
www.wildwnc.org/gateway
Water you waiting for? Jump into the Appalachian Stewards Society and get your invitation to Coffee & Cats and other exclusive events!
App Stewards is a philanthropic giving society that supports the Nature Center and gives members a range of exciting benefits. For more information about becoming a member of App Stewards, please email Cindy at [email protected].
Caturday in the park. Feeling tuckered out after a long week? There's nothing like taking a stroll through the Nature Center to boost your energy! It feels a little less like exercise when you can rest your eyes on something as cute as a napping bobcat like Tufts.
Today's Turtle Journal: There have been some changes in living arrangements for our turtles here at the Nature Center. For starters, our bigger snapping turtle has gone to Appalachian Wildlife Refuge and a new baby snapping turtle will take his place. Yellow Dot, our baby box turtle, has also moved on to App Wild and Purple Dot and Orange Dot have moved in!
Pictured here is one of our new baby box turtles.
The answer: Today, the gray wolf population in North America is only 65,000. Gray wolves were one of the first animals to be placed on the U.S. Endangered Species Act list in 1973.
Today is International Wolf Day! The North American gray wolf population in the 1600s was around 2 million. What is the gray wolf population in North America today?
Tell us your answer in the comments and then stop by the Nature Center to admire Nova and Wayah on this special day! We'll post the answer in a separate post this afternoon.
Please be aware that our farm animals may not be visible for a few days as we create a temporary corral for them. This is another step in the renovation process for the Gateway to the Southern Appalachians project.
For more details about this project visit www.wildwnc.org/gateway-to-the-southern-appalachians
It's Elvis Week which may have you wondering, where's WNC's favorite skunk, Elvis? We promise he hasn't left the building. He's just out of view while renovations are taking place in the barn. We'll let you know when you can see his stinkin' cute face again.
Join our WILD pack! Become a monthly WNC Nature Center donor and make a lasting impact on the conservation of our region’s rich biodiversity!
For a minimum gift of $15 a month, you can support the vital work of the Nature Center and receive a 6-pack of beautifully illustrated postcards featuring some of the Nature Center's most beloved animals! Sign up before September 1 to secure your exclusive gift. Use our link in bio to donate or https://wildwnc.org/donate/
It's your LAST CHANCE of the year to get a beary good picture of Uno and Ursa noshing on popsicles at Brews & Bears! Join us tonight, August 9, from 5:30-8 p.m. at the Nature Center. It's going to be an unforgettable evening of live music, beverages, food, a BearWise talk, and a special cougar program.
Get your tickets online until 2 p.m. or at the door while they last. www.wildwnc.org/brews-and-bears
This International Cat Day, we invite you to view a game of cat and mouse! Our talented animal care team put together this adorable bobcat enrichment in advance of the occasion for Tufts and Kohana. Is it not just the cutest?
How will you celebrate your kitty today?
Animals at the Nature Center receive daily enrichment which helps stimulate their senses, pique their curiosity, and engage them in creative physical activity.
The turtle wins by a hair! It was a tight race, but we have a winner. Congrats to Melissa who snapped this picture and won our August photo contest.
To enter our monthly contest and get your chance to win tickets to the WNC Nature Center, email your photos to [email protected]. Submissions must be taken on Nature Center grounds, and people pictured must give permission. Photos may be used for marketing in the future.
75 Gashes Creek Road
Asheville, NC
28805
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We've got what you're searching for.... fun summer evenings at Brews & Bears! Get your tickets for June 14, July 12 or August 9 on our website www.wildwnc.org/brews-and-bears
It's Bear Awareness Week! Our friends at BearWise have an important message: Never feed or approach bears! #wildwnc #keepashevillewild #wncnaturecenter #bearawarenessweek #blackbears
Bamboo is just one of those foods that's hard to eat quietly, as red panda Leafa demonstrates! #wncnaturecenter #wildwnc #keepashevillewild #redpanda
Our friends at BearWise want you to know what to do if you see a bear. #bearwise #keepashevillewild #wildwnc #wncnaturecenter
We’ve got some eggs-clusive footage of Elvis enjoying his Easter egg enrichment! #keepashevillewild #wncnaturecenter #wildwnc #skunk
Happy Presidents Day! Our Barn & Aviary Keeper, Ben, has some fun facts to share about U.S. Presidents and their White House pets! #wildwnc #keepashevillewild #wncnaturecenter #PresidentsDay #whitehousepets
This Groundhog Day, how about we change things up a bit? If our gray wolf, Wayah, captures the snowflake, then spring is near!🌷If he misses, it’ll be six more weeks of winter.❄️Could this become a thing? #wildwnc #wncnaturecenter #keepashevillewild #animalenrichment
No extravagant gifts for our bobcats, Tufts and Kohana. They're happy with a pile of dirt to play in!
Wondering what to do with your leftover Christmas tree? While the WNC Nature Center will not be taking any tree donations (our goats have had their fill!), you can still provide shelter, habitat, and food for local wildlife in the area. Just be sure to remove all lights and ornaments before letting backyard critters explore it! Special thanks to Brad Fountain and Natural Mountain Growers for providing trees for our animals as extra enrichment in December!
Happy World Soil Day! In this video, Outreach Educator Tori shares some pretty fascinating facts about soil and our friend the millipede! You could even say that plants and millipedes are... soil-mates! 💘
Our American Toads, Slug and Neville, didn't mind being watched while they enjoyed a snack! At the beginning of the video and around the 44 second mark, you can see Slug (left) wiggling his toes. That is a form of "pedal luring," or the use of vibration from the movement of the feet to agitate or attract prey and get them moving. Toads hunt visually and use movement to track their prey, so that vibration helps them hunt!
We all need some solar magic in our lives! Designed from prints taken at the Nature Center during vet exams, these wild paws are solid black indoors but bloom into a splash of color in the full sun! Get yours at the Nature Center Gift Shop or online at http://wildwnc.org/gift-shop!
The WNC Nature Center is open on July 4th from 10 am to 4:30 pm, with last entry at 3:30 pm. Thanks to JR of RV Farms at the WNC Farmers Market, several of our animals celebrated Independence Day with a watermelon treat! Stop by and make us a part of your celebrations too!
Don't let this be you when prices go up on Monday! Today (Sunday, April 10) is also the LAST day to get a free shirt or pollinator plant with your race registration. Sign up now for the Running of the Goats 5k & Nature Walk at www.wildwnc.org/runwild!
Happy St. Patrick's Day from the WNC Nature Center! Check out Red, one of our eastern box turtles, showing off his camouflage skills in the green grass!
We've installed a new anole exhibit in Appalachian Station! Animal keeper Jill prepared the bioactive habitat for our Carolina Anole, Nancy. This enclosure will provide a self-sustaining biome mimicking Nancy's natural habitat. Check out this awesome time-lapse of the creation of Nancy's new home!
You've seen a horse fly, maybe even a house fly, but have you seen a red wolf fly?! Here's actual footage of our new American Red Wolf, Ben, landing in Asheville late last November! Read more about his adventures at https://wildwnc.org/2021/12/critically-endangered-red-wolf-flies-to-the-wnc-nature-center/! Special thanks to volunteer Casey Willis for capturing this footage!
It cracks us up that Elvis the Striped Skunk is so egg-cited about #NationalEggDay! Listen closely to hear his cute little crunches! Our hens lay around two dozen eggs a week, so we use the egg-tras in our animal diets and for enrichment!
Ravenhill AKC Russell Terriers and Import li
Highway 902
All Pets Animal Hospital & Rehabilitation Cen
Reynolds Mountain Boulevard
