Weekly Wildlife Presentation

Beginning in late May and continuing through late July, wildlife biology and pre-veterinary medicine students at Lees-McRae College give weekly public wildlife presentations.

These presentations take place at the amphitheater at Tate-Evans Park in downtown Banner Elk. At each presentation, Lees-McRae students bring an animal ambassador that is being rehabilitated or cared for at the college’s Dan and Dianne May Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. Attendees get a close-up look at the animal and learn about the needs of local wildlife and the importance of conservation efforts.

The May Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is located adjacent to the Elk River on the campus of Lees-McRae. The center annually treats more than 1,500 injured and orphaned animals from across Western North Carolina. Each animal is evaluated and a suitable treatment plan is determined.

Animals with severe injuries preventing them from returning to the wild reside permanently at the center and become animal ambassadors. However, the primary goal is to rehabilitate and release animals back into their natural surroundings.