FAQs
- What are your hours?
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Fall & Winter Hours (Tuesday after Labor Day-first Friday in May): 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Spring & Summer Hours (First Saturday in May-Labor Day): 8:00 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
For specific building hours, click here.
- Where can I buy corn to feed the waterfowl?
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Corn is sold at the Observation Building. Change is available from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Feed only the ducks and geese CORN.
Other animals can get sick from eating corn, and bread (and similar foods) can harm the birds as they grow. Read more: Angel Wing Condition (PDF). - When is the gift shop open?
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With the help from our friends in the Parks Department and the Amusement Park, we are excited to announce the Welcome Center/Gift Shop located in the Nature Center is open! Please stop by, say hello, and check out the souvenirs. Now open 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Thursday-Sunday, hours will be extended starting in Spring (keep an eye on Facebook). We thank you all for the ongoing support!
- Do you allow dogs in the park?
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No, we do not allow dogs or any pets anywhere in our park to reduce stress for our wildlife and exhibit animals. One exception to this is service animals. Service animals include any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for individuals with disabilities, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. (Ref. U.S. Dept of Justice Policy Regarding Service Animals (PDF)).
- Are bikes, skateboards or roller blades allowed in the park?
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They are not allowed on all of our trails and exhibit areas. They are allowed only on the main road that vehicles drive.
- Do you have a lost and found?
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Yes, it is located in the Nature Center office. Please call (920) 391-3671 to inquire about a missing item.
- Is smoking allowed in the park?
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No, the entire Wildlife Sanctuary, its buildings, and trails are smoke-free.
- Are snowshoes allowed on the trails?
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Please do not walk on groomed ski trails.
Snowshoe Hikes are scheduled throughout the winter with a Naturalist. Click here to find those dates on the calendar of events.
- When are your ski trails open?
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Once there is snow on the ground, the hiking trails become groomed ski trails. The gates are open from 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily. Call (920) 391-3671 to inquire about trail conditions.
- I Have an Injured Animal. What Do I Do?
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Use all necessary safety precautions when approaching an injured animal. You can call Animal Care at the Observation Building at 920-391-3685 for assistance. You may also be able to call your local animal control officer.
Some animals may not need assistance. They may be eating or hunting.
If you have an injured animal in your possession:
- Keep the animal secure in a box or carrier in a warm, dark, safe, place
- Do not feed the animal
- You may give it a small amount of water if necessary
- Keep animal away from other animals, pets, and children
- Bring it to the Observation Building as soon as possible. We are open daily at 8 am
- When Can I See the Animals Up Close? May I Take a Picture of Me Holding One?
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We have many opportunities to visit our animals up close: Critter Counter, programs, events and tours. Please check our calendar for upcoming events. Sorry, you cannot hold any of our animal ambassadors unless you are a trained volunteer or staff member of the Wildlife Sanctuary.
- How Can I Help the Animals of the Wildlife Sanctuary?
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We have many volunteer opportunities in our rehabilitation program (R-PAWS), animal care, and other departments of the Wildlife Sanctuary. Check out the Get Involved area of the website for lots more information. You can sponsor an animal through our Wildlife Champions program. You can also support the animals by gathering items from our Baby Animal Wish List, or our wish list on Amazon, and through our annual animal toy drive.
- What Do I Do with a Baby Animal If I Am Close?
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- Keep the animal secure in a box or carrier in a warm, dark, safe, place
- Try not to disturb the animal
- Do not feed the animal
- You may give it a small amount of water if necessary
- Keep animal away from other animals, pets and children
- Bring it to the Observation Building as soon as possible. We are open daily at 8:00 a.m.
- How to Rescue Infant Birds (PDF)
- How to Rescue Infant Mammals (PDF)
- Will a Bird of Prey Attack My Pet Cat or Small Dog?
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Depending on the type of bird, birds of prey may visualize a cat or small dog to be a rabbit or other prey item. If you are concerned about your cat or dog being harmed, it is best to go in the yard while your dog is outside and keep your cat inside.
- How Can I Help Wildlife in My Yard?
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Providing a place for shelter and a water source are important to attract wildlife to your backyard habitat. Depending on the species, you may want to provide certain feeders, food sources, and native plants.
- Can I Fish at the Wildlife Sanctuary?
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Find more information on fishing rules, etiquette and Manger lagoon on our Fishing page.
- How Do I Raise a Baby Animal I Have Found?
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Baby animals have specific dietary needs and require around-the-clock care. Please contact the Wildlife Sanctuary at (920) 391-3685 if you have an abandoned wild infant animal you have found. It is illegal to possess wildlife without a permit.
- Who Can I Contact for More Information on the Animals of the Wildlife Sanctuary?
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You can call Animal Care at the Observation Building at (920) 391-3685.
- What Do the Birds of Prey Eat?
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We keep the diet as close to a natural diet as possible; this includes feeding thawed, dead rats, chicks, and mice. The birds have specific dietary needs we monitor daily.
- Do You Have Change Available for Corn Sales?
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Change is available daily at the Observation Building with our Visitor Specialists from 10 am until 3 pm.
- Where Do You Get Your Animals?
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All of our animals at the Wildlife Sanctuary are injured in some way they cannot be released back into the wild. This includes wing injuries, head injuries, eye injuries, and imprinting. Some animals were brought to WLS and would not be able to be released back into the wild. Some animals are from other rehabilitation facilities.
- Why Are Wild Animals in Cages?
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The Wildlife Sanctuary receives many sick and injured wild animals. Our goal is to nurse them back to health and return them to wild. Sometimes permanently injured animals cannot survive on their own and we provide them a safe home. We can work with the animals living here to learn about their habitats and to help them survive in the wild. The Wildlife Sanctuary has the proper state and federal permits to cage and rehabilitate animals.
- Are there any animal areas closed during normal operating open hours?
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Yes, the Observation Building Resch Conservation Wing is closed on Tuesdays 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., and the Woodland Building large mammal exhibits—cougar, bobcat, fox, otter—are closed on Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. for weekly maintenance.