Wildlife Center event set

New Mexico’s only wildlife hospital is holding its free annual open house.

The New Mexico Wildlife Center’s open house, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 6-7 at its facility, 19 Wheat St. in Arroyo Seco, offers a chance for people to get up close and personal with the state’s wildlife, organizers said.

Many of the center’s raptors, as well as several reptiles and their handlers, will be at the event for viewing and educational information. The event features tours of the rehabilitation hospital unit and garden, along with nature-related activities for children, refreshments and a Frito pie fundraiser.

This year’s event will start Saturday morning with a ribbon-cutting, dedicating the new home of the center’s animal ambassador and longtime resident, Sly, a red-eared slider turtle.

The fundraising is free, but organizers are asking for a $5 donation per vehicle. Wildlife hospital tours are $3, or an item from the center’s wish list at www.newmexicowildlifecenter.org.

The center is five miles north of Pojoaque. For more information, call the center at 505-753-9505 or email dawn@newmexicowildlifecenter.org.

The nonprofit organization works to conserve and restore native wildlife and their habitats through education, promotion of public awareness, strategic partnerships and responsible wildlife rehabilitation.