Wildlife Rescue Centers & Programs
By Julie Matthews
Western North Carolina is a nature-rich destination home to a wide variety of wildlife species including black bears, elk, eagles, river otters and many more. The region has a number of wildlife-focused organizations and programs that educate the community about species in the area and help care for injured or orphaned animals.
On the campus of Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, the May Wildlife Rehabilitation Center takes in more than 1,500 injured and orphaned wildlife each year. For more information visit LMC.edu/Academics/May-Wildlife-Center/Index.htm. If you encounter an animal in need of help, call the center at 828-898-2568.
In Linville, located a short distance south of Boone, Grandfather Mountain offers visitors up close, captivating wildlife experiences that also serve to support the animals under its care. Along with Grandfather Mountain’s highly visited Mile High Swinging Bridge and its interactive nature museum, the Wilson Center, visitors can observe wildlife residents—including bears, cougars, elk, eagles and otters—in “environmental habitats,” large enclosures within nature. The Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, who owns and operates Grandfather Mountain, also offers visitors the opportunity to adopt an animal to help support the program. Learn more by visiting Grandfather.com/Visit/Things-To-Do/Wildlife-Habitats.
