Oatland Island Wildlife Center

12/05/2024

A huge bison sized thank you to Charles Ellis Montessori Academy for hosting a "dress down" fundraiser for Oatland Island! They did an amazing job and we are so grateful for their donations!!!!

12/05/2024

WE ARE OPEN!!!!!!

Thank you to our amazing community for all of the support through our closing and clean up efforts. We are so excited to announce that we are opening today at our usual hours of 10am-4pm.

We are so excited to see you on the trails!

11/28/2024

Happy Thanksgiving from Oatland Island, where our turkeys are pardoned every year!

11/22/2024

11/21/2024

We are no longer taking pumpkin donations.

Thank you so much to our wonderful community for all of your support and contributions to the happiness of our animals.

11/20/2024

It's that time of year again for pumpkin spice lattes, turkey, sweater weather, and brumation.

Brumation is a state of dormancy or inactivity that reptiles enter during winter or when the temperatures are low.

During brumation, reptiles slow their metabolism to conserve energy and survive in stressful conditions. They have reduced activity and many stop eating. They will hide and seek out warm, safe places to hide, such as burrowing into soft soil or leaves. Brumation is necessary for reproductive health in some species as the dormancy period triggers hormonal changes that prepare the animal for breeding in the spring.

Here at Oatland, many of our outdoor reptiles will brumate and go into their burrows, dens, leaf piles, or dirt. We continue to monitor their habitats daily for any changes to their conditions.

11/14/2024

Although we are closed to the public, we are still able to have a few students and guided educational programs that meet certain criteria come to Oatland.

Luckily, our OWL program, or Oatland Wildlife Leader, is one of those programs. Our OWL, Lily, came on a Saturday and made a beautiful weaved palm basket for enrichment for both of our pigs. The basket was filled with produce from their diet, and both of the pigs loved it!

11/05/2024

We are still working hard every day in order to open back up. We will continue to keep you updated on our progress, and when we have a reopen date, we will very enthusiastically share it with you all!

Our Harvest Festival has been canceled as we remain closed.

We are so thankful for all of your donations and gifts from our Amazon wish list, as well as all of the pumpkins. We love our community, and we look forward to having you back soon!

10/23/2024

It's National Wolf Awareness Week!

This week was established in 1996 by the Defenders of Wildlife to drive meaningful conversations about the ecological importance of wolves and why they need continued protection.

There are two universally recognized species of wolves living in the United States, and those are the gray wolf and the red wolf. There are four subspecies of the gray wolf: the artic, great plains, Mexican, and northwestern. There are no subspecies of red wolves, and they are the most endangered wild animal in the US, with less than 50 individuals left in the wild.

We have 3 amazing northwestern gray wolves: Oconee, Suwanee, and Ogeechee. They are beautiful and playful. They enjoy most of their enrichment and have been seen leaping into trees to grab tasty treats. They are intelligent and have a very keen sense of stranger danger. They remember individuals for a lifetime and form special bonds to those they enjoy being around. They love to play chase and wrestle, but also absolutely love a good nap under the shade of a tree.

It is important to bring awareness to all wolf species within the US because they are a keystone species. Keystone species are those species whose presence significantly impacts the function of the ecosystem. They are apex predators that help keep the herbivore populations in check, which in turn prevents overgrazing and promptes vegetation growth.

Before modern civilization, wolves roamed abundant and free in almost the entire US. Sadly, however, wolf hunting and killing reached a high point in the late 1800 and early 1900's, virtually eradicating all species of wolf. It has been a long and hard battle to build back up their wild numbers for many reasons, the largest being human and animal conflicts.

Numbers of gray wolves are finally on the rise and legislation is being created and supported in order to keep them protected.

It is our sincere hope that the beauty, intelligence, and playfulness of these amazing creatures will inspire you to help them where you can!!!!

10/21/2024

Happy Reptile Awareness Day to all of our beautiful reptiles who call Oatland home.

Reptiles are cold-blooded, air breathing vertebrates that have scales and typically lay eggs.

Oatland always has alligators, several species of turtles, and snakes and occasionally other types of reptiles.

10/17/2024

Happy Bobcat Appreciation Month to our two adorable boys, Odie and Bo.

We love you for the funny, fiesty, and loveable personalities that you have, and we are so blessed that you call Oatland home.

10/16/2024

Things are getting festive here at Oatland while we decorate for our Halloween Hike.

Tickets are still available for Friday and Saturday and we can not wait to see you in your costumes.

10/15/2024

Halloween Hike is this Friday and Saturday, and tickets are still available for most times!

Come and join us in this family-friendly, not spooky, enjoyable evening full of activities, fun, animals, tricks, and treats!

Tickets can be purchased at www.sccpsspay.com, hitting pay now, selecting Oatland Island, and picking from there!

10/13/2024

Unfortunately, yes, we are still closed. We have A LOT of downed trees that need to be taken care of before we reopen. At this time, we do not have a date set to reopen, but we will make an announcement when/if that changes!

Halloween Hike is still on and tickets are still available!

Thank you so much for your continued support!

10/10/2024

Tons of Halloween Hike tickets are still available!

This event is one of our top fundraisers, and we could use our community's support!

This event will be full of fun, candy, activities, animals, face painting, and concessions!

Pre purchase is required and no tickets will be sold at the gate. Please purchase your tickets at the website above. Your receipt (either printed or on your phone) will count as your tickets and will be used to gain entry into the festivities!

We look forward to celebrating with you soon!

10/09/2024

Thank you so much to May Howard Elementary for your incredible donations.

Our animals and animal care team are so excited for your generosity!

10/07/2024

Although we are still closed we appreciate all of the love and support from our community. If you would like to make donations of any of the items below, we would be most grateful. All donations can be left at the front gate at any hour. No need to buzz in!

Items we could use: blue dawn dish soap, laundry detergent (liquid), green scrubbing pads, canned 100% pumpkin, canned fruits and veggies, baby food, whole meat dog treats, pig ears, syrup, gently used towels.

10/03/2024

ATTENTION

Halloween Hike purchases are different this year. Savannah Chatham County Schools has a new pay system, and your entry will be purchased through them. The web address is on the flyer above. There will be no actual tickets but rather your receipt will serve as your ticket.

Print your receipt for entry or present your receipt on your phone on the day and time of your entry.

We apologize for the confusion this year but please be patient and kind as we have had more pressing storm clean up on our minds and hearts.

We look forward to seeing you at Halloween Hike!!!!