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How We Prepare
Wildlife For Release
Wildlife Rehabilitation in North Carolina,
with life after release in mind
At Carolina Wildlife Conservation Center in Iron Station, North Carolina, we provide wildlife rehabilitation for native mammals and reptiles from across the state, including the Charlotte region. From treatment in our wildlife hospital to preparation for release, we plan care around each animal’s needs and its return to the wild.
What is wildlife rehabilitation?
Wildlife rehabilitation is the temporary care of injured, sick, or orphaned wild animals with the goal of returning them to their natural habitat. It can include medical treatment, nutrition, shelter, and opportunities to develop or regain the skills needed to survive independently.
At Carolina Wildlife Conservation Center, we rehabilitate native North Carolina mammals and reptiles. Our goal is to help them recover while preserving the behaviors that make them wild.
Why does wildlife rehabilitation matter?
A vehicle collision, an encounter with a pet, or the loss of a mother can leave a wild animal unable to survive without help. Wildlife rehabilitation gives animals that can recover a chance to return to the wild. Human impact is the cause of 73% of our wildlife admissions. We are working to combat the ever changing wild landscape and the affects on human expansion on wildlife populations.
The work also helps people make informed decisions when they find wildlife. Not every animal needs to be rescued. Sometimes the best outcome is keeping a healthy animal in its habitat or helping a young animal reunite with its mother. Knowing when to help, and when to leave an animal undisturbed, is part of responsible wildlife care.
01
Care Built around each animal
An orphaned squirrel and an injured turtle need different paths to recovery. We consider each animal’s species, age, condition, and natural behavior as we plan care. Treatment, nutrition, and housing change as the animal recovers and grows.
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Keeping wildlife wild
Wild animals need to remain cautious around people. We limit unnecessary handling and human contact while providing the care our wildlife patients need. Our center is not open to the public to limit human interaction, keep wild animals wild and decrease stress. Our goal is to help animals develop independence and natural behaviors throughout rehabilitation.
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Building the skills for life outside
Recovery includes opportunities to move, explore, forage, and build strength. Depending on the species, that may mean climbing, digging, swimming, or finding appropriate foods. These activities help prepare an animal for the demands of life in the wild.
Our specialized large outdoor enclosures are spread throughout the forest, keep animals connected and calm in a natural surrounding.
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Knowing when an animal is ready
Release decisions consider health, physical ability, feeding, and behavior. We look at whether an animal can meet the needs of its species without ongoing human care. Release planning also considers suitable habitat, weather, season, and where the animal was found.
140 acres. A lasting commitment to wildlife.
Our center sits on 140 acres of preserved land in Iron Station, North Carolina. That connection to wild habitat keeps the purpose of our work in view: helping animals return to lives in the wild. We strive to show people the importance of wild places.
Always learning. Always improving.
We review our approach, seek out research, and keep learning from the animals in our care. We continually ask what we can do better to prepare each animal for release, how we can upgrade our medical and rehabilitation abilities and create a successful animal once released. We attend the National Wildlife Rehabilitation Symposium, learn from other wildlife centers and strive to always do better for our patients.