The One Incredible Place In Tennessee To See Wildlife Up Close
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Meghan Kraft
Author
Ober Gatlinburg is known for its fun ski slopes and snow, for the pancake houses that dot downtown and the fun cabins that are perfect for family weekend gatherings. Whether you’re looking to enjoy the snow or time with family, a trip to the Ober Gatlinburg Wildlife Encounter is one of the neatest afternoon activities in the area. Low-key, intimate and fun, this is how you meet a bobcat. Safely. Because that’s all we’re really looking for, right?
Located in the heart of the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains, Ober Gatlinburg has stolen the hearts of young and old.
It's beautiful to visit in any season and makes for a stunning vacation with the folks you love so much. Whether you have skiers or readers, hikers or wildlife enthusiasts.
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The Wildlife Encounter at Ober Gatlinburg is a small, intimate experience with the animals that capture our imagination. As a privately funded zoo, it allows families and children of all ages an opportunity to get up close and personal with all sorts of wildlife.
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Whether you'd like to or not...
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Here you can visit exhibits on the American black bear, bobcats, flying squirrels (!!!), eight different birds of prey, reptiles, and a ton more. The exhibit span was expanded in 2007, and features protected animals that either came from rescues or other zoos. No animals are captured for the wildlife exhibit!
The river otters tend to be an exciting sight - since Tennessee is landlocked, seeing these stunning creatures so close is truly an amazing experience.
There are three separate enclosures within the Wildlife Encounter, one for the aforementioned river otters and two for the native black bears. You can visit a nocturnal house, with raccoons, skunks and flying squirrels. And need we digress on the reptile house...?
The bobcat enclosure opened a few years ago, and you can't miss visiting this majestic animal. What a beauty.
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You can visit the enclosure any day of the week, although we'd recommend buying tickets ahead of time. Tickets for adults are $6, children between the ages of four and eleven are $4, and under the age of four visit for free. See you there!
This fried chicken restaurant in Tennessee is also pretty quirky – have you been?
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