Open 361 Days a Year: Admissions 10:00am – 3:30pm; park closes at 4:30pm

Due to significant flooding and impassable roads in our region from Tropical Storm Helene, the WNC Nature Center is temporarily CLOSED.

All of our animals are safe and accounted for, and there is minimal damage to the habitats. However, Swannanoa River Road and the main bridge to the Nature Center were washed away, and it will take time to reopen. We will undoubtedly need your support as we rebuild.

Donations can be made at www.wildwnc.org/donate.

May 16, 2023
8:51 pm

Critically Endangered Red Wolf Pups Born at WNC Nature Center

Just in time for Mother’s Day, the WNC Nature Center announced the birth of nine red wolf pups! The critically endangered pups were born on April 28, 2023, and are the offspring of three-year-olds Gloria and Oak, both first-time parents. The nine pups – eight females and one male – are all healthy and doing well. The Nature Center’s veterinary care team is continuing to carefully monitor the newborns during these critical first weeks. At just two weeks old, these pups are still wholly dependent on their parents, but Gloria and Oak have been seen moving them around the habitat, so guests may sporadically see them. The pups may begin venturing out of the den box around the end of May, and guests may begin to see the pups in the red wolf habitat in June. Updates on the pups’ progress will be shared on the WNC Nature Center’s social media channels.

Parents Gloria and Oak were paired in January 2023 based on a breeding recommendation from the Red Wolf SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) program of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. SAFE is a collaborative effort between zoos and other conservation organizations to protect and recover the red wolf population through habitat restoration, genetically diverse breeding, and reintroduction of red wolves into their natural habitat. Gloria was born in April 2019 at the Endangered Wolf Center in Missouri, and Oak was born at the NC Zoo in Asheboro in April 2020.

By participating in this program, the WNC Nature Center is making a significant contribution to the conservation of this critically endangered species. “The WNC Nature Center is honored to be a part of the American red wolf conservation effort,” said WNC Nature Center Director Chris Gentile, “and we are so proud of Gloria and Oak for playing such an essential role in helping their species recover.”

American red wolves are native to North America and are one of the most endangered canine species in the world. In April 2023, the US Fish & Wildlife Service estimated that there are only 15 to 17 red wolves living in the wild in Eastern North Carolina. Red wolves in the SAFE program under human care numbered 235. The WNC Nature Center has been part of the American Red Wolf Recovery Program since 1990. Between 1996 and 2014, 13 pups were born at the Nature Center. This year’s litter brings that total to 22.

Community members and supporters of red wolf conservation have a role to play as well. With a pack of 11 red wolves at the WNC Nature Center, the community can help support a local effort to save these critically endangered animals. You can symbolically adopt a red wolf at www.wildwnc.org/adopt. Donations can also be made online at www.wildwnc.org/donate or mailed to Friends of the WNC Nature Center, PO Box 19151, Asheville, NC, 28815

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WNC Nature Center
75 Gashes Creek Road
Asheville, NC 28805
Getting Here

General Inquiries
828-259-8080
admin@wildwnc.org

Friends of the
WNC Nature Center
PO Box 19151
Asheville, NC 28815
828-259-8092

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Open 361 Days a Year
Admissions
10:00am – 3:30pm
Park closes at 4:30pm

Critically Endangered Red Wolf Pups Born at WNC Nature Center

Tropical Storm Helene

Pollinator Garden Looks to Take Flight

WNC Nature Center Economic Impact Report

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