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

Reservations are not required, and tickets do not need to be purchased online in advance.

Coyote

Coyote

Canis latrans

Appearance: Coyotes are smaller than gray wolves but larger than foxes. Their fur ranges in color from reddish to brown and yellowish to gray. They haveprominent ears, rust-colored legs, and a bushy tail with a black tip. Adults are generally three to four feet in length and weigh 20 to 40 pounds. They are often heard more than they are seen. Their high-pitched howls and barks are used to communicate their position, confirm hunting success, or to reinforce social bonds.

Range: Coyotes thrive in areas with a diversity of habitats including brushy country, ravines, thickets, and small woodlots. They are most active at night and can live alone, in pairs, or in loosely knit packs of non-breeding animals. Their only serious predator is humans, who hunt them with dogs and guns; however, they have been able to maintain their population numbers due to their high adaptability.

Diet: Most humans are fearful of predatory animals. Part of the stigma against coyotes is their occasional feeding on domestic poultry and livestock.  However, about three-fourths of their diet consists of rodents, rabbits, opossums, raccoons, and squirrels. They will also eat insects, fruits, berries, seeds, grasses, and dead animal matter.

Beatrice

Bea was wild born and came to the WNC Nature Center in April 2006. At just 2 weeks old, she and her brother were orphaned after their mother was killed. When Bea arrived at the Nature Center, her eyes were not even open yet. Since she was so young when her mother died, she never learned survival skills and does not fear humans.

Bea loves to interact with the animal keepers. In the mornings, she can be seen playing, and she loves pieces of frozen banana as enrichment.

Meet our other animals

American Black Bear

American Black Bear

Generally shy and reclusive animals, black bears avoid human contact and are not normally aggressive. Two black bears, Uno and Ursa, live at the Nature Center.

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American Pygmy Goat

American Pygmy Goat

Similar to the Nigerian dwarf goat, the American pygmy is a small goat that only reaches 1-2 feet in height. They vary widely in coloration including white, tan, caramel, gray, and black.

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Red Wolf Karma

American Red Wolf

Red wolves are highly endangered species that has been eliminated from almost all of its natural range. Our breeding pair of red wolves, Oak and Gloria, are part of the AZA Species Survival Plan.

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