Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge (ARNWR)
The ARNWR is a 152,000-acre National Wildlife
Refuge located in East Lake, NC that is managed by the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service (FWS). On March 14, 1984, conservationists established the Refuge
to preserve and protect its unique wetland habitat type (pocos in)and the
wildlife that inhabits the area.
Habitat
The Refuge’s habitat types include bogs, fresh and brackish
water marshes, hardwood swamps, Atlantic White Cedar swamps, and high and low
pocos in. Pocos in is a type of “palustrine wetland with deep, acidic, sandy,
peat soils.”Groundwater (water beneath the earth's surface, often between
saturated soil and rock) soaks the ground except during short, seasonal dry periods
and prolonged droughts. (Source: Wikipedia).
Wildlife
Alligator River is
one of the last fortresses for the American black bear in eastern North
Carolina and along the mid-Atlantic coast. The refuge supports ducks, geese,
swans, wading birds, shorebirds, raptors, quail, migrating songbirds, American
woodcocks, Red-cockaded woodpeckers,White-tailed deer, raccoons, rabbits, North
American river otters, and American alligators. In addition, Alligator River is
famous for re-establishing the Red wolf back into the wild.
The Red Wolf
History of Endangerment
The
Red wolf population was in danger many years before the Refuge was founded. The
Red wolf is native to the southeastern United States. However, this species had
been eliminated from its range, except for a small section of its original hunting
grounds. By the early 1970s, the FWS had captured the few remaining Red wolves
and declared the species extinct in the wildby 1980. Through a captive breeding
program, this small Red wolf population was sustained while FWS searched for a
suitable habitat where the wolves could be re-established in the wild.
Alligator River was just the spot: The wolves could find food and escape people
in its immense new territory.
Reemergence Experiment
In 1986, a five-year experiment to rebuild a self-sustaining
Red wolf population in the wild began. Naturally, Red wolves soon adapted to
life in the wild and continue to roam free in eastern North Carolina today.
Red Wolf "Howling" Tours
From June through August 2013, the Red Wolf Recovery
Program hosted 12 howling events. According to their recent blog post, more
than 640 people attended these events and helped raise over $3,250, which funds
Red wolf conservation efforts.
The Red Wolf Howling Tour begins with a lecture about the
Red Wolf. Next, guests travel in a caravan of vehicles to a secluded location
deep in the woods of the Refuge. Here, participants howl at the wolves, and,
with some luck, the wolves howl back.
Fall 2013 Tours (free, no registration required)
·
Full Moon Howl:November 16, from 5:00-6:30 pm
·
Holiday Howl:December 7, from 5:00-6:30 pm
ARWR Regulations
Review the Refuge regulations, which are available at the
ARWR Visitor Center.Keep in mind that camping and fires are prohibited, and it
is illegal to litter, cut down trees, or remove certain plants. United States
Park Rangers regularly patrol the area to enforce these laws.
For a unique Outer BanksVacation adventure, consider one of the howling tours offered this
fall. Contact the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau or FWS for more information.
For more Contact:
4729 N. Croatan Hwy.
Kitty Hawk, NC 27949 USA
Phone (877) 858-4795
http://www.atlanticrealty-nc.com
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