The gopher tortoise, which lives in dry, sandy regions and is native to Georgia’s coast, can be see in the wild at Oatland Island Wildlife Center.

American bison, white-tailed deer, gray wolf, red fox, nine-banded armadillo, peregrine falcon, sandhill crane, gopher tortoise and bald eagle—these are just some of the natural wildlife of Georgia and the nation that you can see at the Oatland Island Wildlife Center of Savannah.

Located less than five minutes from Savannah’s historic district, the wildlife center has over 100 acres of maritime forest and exhibits 50 species of animals. Outdoor exhibits include the Wolf Wilderness, Alligator Wetlands, Predators of Georgia, and Birds of Prey. Goats, pigs, donkeys and sheep are just some of the animals found in the Georgia Farm area.

The 30-year-old center, which is owned by the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, has special programs for school children. Overnight programs are offered on weekends where kids and parents can bring their sleeping bags and learn how animals operate at night and do a little stargazing as well. Summer programs are limited this summer because the center is undergoing extensive renovations, but guided trail walks and various programs are still being offered.

This month on May 23 is Heritage Homesite Day. The Delk cabin will be open for tours, and the educational staff will demonstrate open hearth cooking and be available to answer questions.

You’ll find more information about Oatland Island Wildlife Center, Savannah and other things to do and see on Georgia’s coast here at Brown’s Guide.

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 24th, 2010 at 4:42 pm and is filed under Coastal Georgia, Environmental. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.