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.
Bubo virginianus
Appearance: Great Horned Owls are noted for their large ear tufts. These ear tufts do not aid in hearing, but can be used to show expression and as camouflage. Their hearing is acute and the ears are beneath the facial feathers, and are positioned unevenly in order to better pick up sound. Owls also have distinctive facial disks, which help to direct sound toward the ears. Their large eyes are fixed in the skull, making it necessary for them to rotate their heads in order to change their view.
Range: Great Horned Owls exist across North America. They are one of the most common owls and can be found from deserts to wetlands, forests, grasslands, backyards, and cities.
Diet: In the wild, the great horned owl is a top predator. The flight of an owl is almost silent, which allows an owl to fly towards its prey without detection. They are powerful, nocturnal hunters feeding on a variety of prey such as rabbits, rodents, other small mammals, and birds. Great Horned Owls are one of the few animals that regularly include skunks in their diets.
Date of Birth: February 1987
Scruff came to the WNC Nature Center in April of 1987. Scruff was orphaned at a young age and sustained a wing injury, most likely from a car accident. She cannot be released into the wild because she cannot fly and lacks survival skills.
What Makes Scruff Unique? Scruff has laid eggs before, but they were not fertile so she did not have baby owlets.
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.
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.
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.
River otters are masterful in the water. Obi and Olive, the two otters at the Nature Center, love to show their playful side in their habitat!
WNC Nature Center
75 Gashes Creek Road
Asheville, NC 28805
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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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