A Living Museum For Birds Of Prey In North Carolina Is A Family-Friendly Educational Experience

From its beginning in 1975, after ornithologist Richard Brown first tended to an injured broad-winged hawk, the Carolina Raptor Center has been encouraging visitors to one of the many paradises for adventures in North Carolina to "take action in positively impacting our world."

This nonprofit located deep within the Latta Nature Preserve — the largest in Mecklenburg County, NC – has rehabilitated and released more than 10,000 birds of prey back into the wild. The center has also been a temporary home to more than 26,000 injured birds in need of care and treatment, as well as a permanent home to a vast population of non-releasable native and exotic species. These birds — deemed as ambassadors for their species — came to the center through the Raptor Hospital, Rescue Programs, or from other facilities. 

The many feathered animals at the Carolina Raptor Center that have now found a permanent home here help educate the public about the conservation of our natural world. The commendable environmental work done by the center's dedicated staff has created a new-found interest and love for raptors (and the birds many stories) in around 35,000 yearly visitors.

Interactive activities in the many rescued wildlife centers in the US are a great way to learn about environmental issues. The Carolina Raptor Center follows in this mission with their many daily educational activities open to the public. The Center offers two different flight exhibitions and talks with the staff and caretakers, explaining everything visitors need to know about birds of prey and their conservation. There are also several opportunities upon which visitors can meet with the raptors up close.

Their main attraction, though, is the Raptor trail, where visitors engage in a ¾-mile hike in the heart of the Latta Nature Preserve to the enclosures of the animals that cannot be released back into the wild. According to one visitor on Google Reviews, "walking around the whole loop takes about an hour," so visitors are advised to plan accordingly. However, regardless of the hike's length, most visitors on TripAdvisor mention how enjoyable and valuable the experience is. 

The Raptor Hospital's Behind-the-Scenes tour is also a must. Here, visitors will be walked through the husbandry and care protocols for each patient and learn about individual birds' diets and treatments. This tour is open for those ages 11 and up, and as the center seeks to preserve as much peace and quiet for the patients, visitor space is limited.

Ever since first opening its doors in 1984 — just a few years after the Latta Nature Preserve was established — the Carolina Raptor Center has maintained the highest standards of care regarding the birds' welfare. Even though this living museum could be cataloged as a small zoo, it is certainly not like your everyday zoological park. 

The Center's ambassador bird program follows a strict code of ethics set by the International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators to ensure the birds are well cared for. Each enclosure is designed to suit the needs of each particular bird species, and so is every diet and enrichment program. Training the birds is also crucial, as it allows for them to experience a better quality of life. This training follows applied behavior analysis and ethology science which reduces the fear of humans in the non-releasable residents and allows them to calmly show their natural behavior when visitors are close by.

By visiting the Carolina Raptor Center, near Charlotte's parks, secret gardens, and historical areas, you will enjoy an educational experience surrounded by beautiful birds of prey and other feathered creatures. Your visit also supports the rescue and rehabilitation of many of these animals, which, if possible, will be released back into the wild when the time is right. This living museum is definitely worth a visit next time you decide to adventure through North Carolina.