Rowan Wild at Dan Nicholas park

07/16/2025

Snakes 🐍 play a vital role in our ecosystem.
One of their primary food sources are rodents 🐁 . Snakes help keep the rodent populations in balance, which helps keep disease and parasites from spreading.
Snakes 🐍 are also a food source to other animals such as mammals 🦝 , birds 🦉 and even sometimes other snakes 🐍 .

Without snakes 🐍 , an ecosystem could become unstable, effecting every specie including humans!

05/23/2025

Join us in celebrating World Turtle Day! 🐢
Today we recognize all turtle species, but especially those 21 species native to North Carolina, with a few of the most common pictured here!

05/08/2025

Animal Adventures Camp!
Limited spaces left!
Don’t miss out - register TODAY!
*registration closes 1 week prior to the start of each individual camp. *
www.rowanwild.org/camps

•ages: 8-12 yrs old
•daily 9am - 3pm
•each camp is 4 - fun filled days
•come learn about animals and nature
•crafts, games, outdoor activities and more
•multi-child discount available for children in the household

We look forward to a fun-filled summer ☀️

02/12/2025

Summer ☀️ Camp 2025!

Registration opens March 1, 2025.

Rowan Wild is offering 3 different camps for various ages. These camps are 4 days each from 9-3 daily. See flyers for more information.
Multi-child discount available for children in the same household.

We look forward to a fun-filled summer ☀️

09/06/2024

It is with much sadness we share the passing of our female bear, known to many as Honey.

During a recent vet exam, it was found that Honey was in advanced stages of kidney failure. In the best interest for Honey, keeping her quality of life priority, staff along with the veterinarian team, made the tough decision to humanely euthanize her.

Honey first came to Rowan Wild in 2005 at the age of 2. She had a big personality, loved hard boiled eggs and walnuts, among others things. She especially loved destroying cardboard boxes that her caregivers offered for enrichment.
Honey has touched many lives during the 19 years at Rowan Wild. She will be dearly missed by many!

06/12/2024

Summer camps kick-off soon! ☀️🎉

If you are looking for a last minute activity for the kids, we still have limited spots available!

Register today at www.rowanwild.org/camps

05/13/2024

Summer camp registration opens tomorrow! For more information visit our website at https://rowancountync.gov/1628/Camps.

05/10/2024

It is with much sadness we share the news of the passing of our black bear Ruff.

Ruff first came to Dan Nicholas Park at the age of two, along with black bear Honey. Both have resided at the Eugene McCombs Black Bear Quarry habitat for the last 19 years.
On warm summer days, Ruff could often be seen bobbing for apples in the pool right alongside the visitor window. At other times you may find him snoozing in the shade or foraging for treats hidden throughout the habitat.

Recently, Ruff had been under the care and treatment of our attending vet team for a medical condition. Despite all treatment options, his overall condition continued to deteriorate. After discussions with the attending vet and with his quality of life in mind, he was humanely euthanized. Upon necropsy (animal autopsy) it was found he had a large inoperable mass in his chest cavity, that "absolutely nothing could have been done about this mass" stated the necropsy veterinarian.

Ruff has been an ambassador for wild black bears everywhere, offering guests an opportunity to observe and learn about this species in a safe manner. He has touched so many lives throughout the years and will be dearly missed by many, especially his caregivers.

03/16/2024

Spring reopening. See you soon!

11/20/2023

09/16/2023

Today marks the last day of Red Wolf Week! All of us here at Rowan Wild are so thankful and proud to be a part of the Red Wolf SAFE program and get to work with these amazing creatures. While our Red Wolf exhibit is currently vacant due to remodeling, we are hoping to have wolves back at the park in the near future! In the meantime, please enjoy these pictures of some of our past Red Wolf residents.

09/15/2023

In 2018, researchers discovered large amounts of Red Wolf genetic ancestry in canids living along the southwestern Louisiana and eastern Texas gulf coast. Following this discovery, researchers live trapped and radio-collared canids along the southwestern Louisiana coast to determine taxonomy of canid populations with comprehensive genetic, morphological, and ecological analyses. Studies continue today on this unique population of admixture canids.

15 wild Red Wolves are known to exist today with the estimated population of 27-29 and the Gulf Coast Canine Project brings new hope for the species by discovering these Gulf Coast canids that carry Red Wolf genetics, including unique alleles that were previously thought to be extinct in today’s Red Wolves.