Asheville – With over 60 species of Appalachian animals in their care, the Western North Carolina Nature Center needed to plan carefully to keep their animals secure and safe as Hurricane Helene struck and devastated the area, particularly since the Center is situated very near the Swannanoa River. The staff decided to shelter most of the animals in place, and their habitats were safely secured by the competent animal care team. Fortunately, even though some fences were down, no animals escaped. Some were moved to indoor holding areas, while the hellbender, a large salamander, was relocated to the safety of the Appalachian Wildlife Refuge. Sensitive reptiles and amphibians were later also moved to this facility while the Nature Center was without power, where they received specific life support, including filtration and water.
The horrific hurricane washed away not only the main bridge to the Nature Center on Gashes Creek Road but also a vast majority of Swannanoa River Road, which leads to it. When the staff managed to return the day after the storm—thanks to access provided by their neighbor, Highland Brewery—they learned that all animals were accounted for, with only minimal damage to their habitats. The dedicated team immediately got to work setting up generators, procuring gasoline, and rounding up potable water. Their partner, Appalachian Wildlife Refuge, arrived with food—both for the animals and humans—a welcome sight! Then more good news arrived: a number of zoos reached out to offer assistance. The North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, NC, and the Knoxville Zoo assembled a team of arborists, welders, and facility personnel. They sent them to Asheville with a supply of building materials and a food service crew. Other colleagues from Kansas City Zoo, Topeka Zoo, Saint Louis Zoo, Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, MO, and Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, IA, arrived with trailers full of lumber to rebuild the boardwalks and fences and to remove limbs and trees.
The WNC Nature Center
Over the years, the WNC Nature Center has been a wonderful place to visit. This 42-acre wildlife park opened in 1977 and has grown considerably since then. It is currently operated by the City of Asheville’s Park and Recreation Department and highlights the unique wildlife of the Southern Appalachian region. The Nature Center is one of the primary facilities in Western North Carolina offering school children and adults opportunities to learn about and develop an understanding of their responsibility for this area’s native wildlife and habitats. Visitors can meet red pandas Leafa and Phoenix or see foxes, bears, wolves, bobcats, and cougars.
Over the past ten months, almost twenty animals representing seven species have been born or brought to the Nature Center. A bobcat kitten named Tufts joined the Nature Center in early August after coming from the May Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Banner Elk, North Carolina. Raccoons Grace and Frankie arrived at the WNC Nature Center in late September from Appalachian Wildlife Refuge. Visitors have the added excitement of meeting these young animals and watching them grow up over the years to come.
A number of events are regularly held throughout the year to engage visitors of all ages at the Center. In fact, on December 7 in the morning, they plan to hold a Critter Checkup, where children can bring their favorite stuffed animals to the Center for a check-up with a veterinarian, followed by fun and games!
As Chris Gentile, the Director, stated, “While we have made incredible progress, there are still challenges ahead. The timeline for fully restoring main access to our Center is still unclear and could take months to complete. However, we are continuing to work closely with the City of Asheville as we look for solutions that would allow guests to return on-site as soon as possible.” Generous contributions to this recovery have already been made. Thanks to Loti Woods and Dale Weiler, on behalf of Champions for Wildlife, donations to the Friends of the WNC Nature Center, made through the Mountain XPress annual Give!Local campaign, will be matched dollar for dollar up to $2,500. The Community Foundation of WNC will match all donations of $25 or more, up to $100 per donor. To contribute and find more information, visit www.wild.wnc.org.