BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 16: (CHINA OUT) Pet birds are tethered to a perch in a residential area on February 16, 2007 in Beijing, China. The Chinese embassy in London confirms that China has become the latest country to ban imports of British poultry following the recent outbreak of the potentially lethal Asian-type H5N1 strain of bird flu virus on a turkey processing plant in Suffolk, England.
North Carolina residents witnessed birds literally falling from the sky over the weekend. According to WITN the Possumwood Acres Wildlife Sanctuary received multiple calls about the birds. The sanctuary, located in Onslow County, put out a statement on Facebook to alert the public as to what is going on. According to Possumwood, the cold weather increases the rate of spread of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus or Bird Flu in wild and domesticated birds. And as a result of the colder temperatures the bird flu is now spreading across North Carolina.
Possumwood Acres Wildlife Sanctuary has suspended bird rescues for the time being. They also alerted the public on what to do if they come across a deceased bird. This includes using masks and gloves to handle the animals and double bagging a deceased bird for disposal. While the agency focuses on rehabbing injured animals and releasing them back into the while the bird flu is not treatable. If brought to the sanctuary they will euthanize the birds if they are found to be infected with the virus.
WITN reports that there have been 176 bird flu cases reported thus far in North Carolina. However, there is most likely a significantly higher number of cases in the wild. Get more info on Possumood Acres Wildlife Sanctuary here.
An interesting fact that you may not know is that Charlotte is actually the largest city in the country that doesn’t have a zoo. And there is very little chance we will ever get a true one. But don’t let that get you down, there are plenty of places you can visit with all types of animals in the Charlotte area. The biggest reason we will most likely never get a true zoo is that we are just 1.5 hours from both the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro and Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia.
Both of those zoos make our list and while both are large zoos, they offer different animals. For instance, you can see polar bears in North Carolina and Koalas in South Carolina. Is marine life more of your interest? Don’t worry we’ve got a couple of options for you as well. Other animals include bison, alpacas, farm animals, all sorts of birds, goats are more.
All of the places on this list are a short drive from Charlotte. Most are very affordable to visit so a great family trip as the weather gets warmer. I love animals but I’m not a huge fan of encountering them unexpectedly, so this type of thing is right up my alley. I can’t wait to add several of these to my summer bucket list. Where is your favorite place to visit animals in the Charlotte area? Let us know on social media!
Melanie Day is a graduate of North Carolina State University. She has worked for Beasley since 2012 in a variety of behind-the-scenes roles in both digital and promotions. Melanie writes about a diverse range of topics some of her favorites include travel, restaurants, Taylor Swift, and college athletics. When not at work you'll find her at a country concert or NC State sporting event.
