Blue Ridge Wildlife Center partners with Clarke County Tourism to hold first ever Groundhog Day Celebration 

Blue Ridge Wildlife Center, headquartered in Boyce, Virginia (just west of Middleburg) and one of the largest wildlife teaching veterinary hospitals in the Mid-Atlantic, will participate in a Groundhog Day Celebration at the Clarke County Fairgrounds’ Ruritan Building (890 West Main St., Berryville, Va.) on Thursday, February 2. The event starts at 9:30 a.m. with an actual groundhog making predictions at 10 a.m. The event is being held in partnership with Clarke County Tourism and Valley Wildlife Care, a non-profit charity of licensed wildlife rehabilitators in the Northern Shenandoah Valley, who’s ambassador groundhog, Tiva will be making the weather prediction.

In addition, attendees will be able to see and learn about a variety of Blue Ridge Wildlife Center’s rescue Ambassador animals that will also be on site. These are various wild animals that were brought to the center with injuries but are unable to be released for specific reasons. “if a patient is deemed non-releasable, we will always evaluate that animal for a life in captivity.,” said Blue Ridge Wildlife Center Hospital Director and head veterinarian Jen Riley, DVM. “Although this is not appropriate for most non-releasable wildlife, for those that tolerate humans well with little stress, and are comfortable with no chronic pain once fully healed, they may become ambassadors like those we will be bringing to the event.”

Last year, Blue Ridge Wildlife Center admitted more than 3,000 injured or orphaned native, wild animals.

For more information, visit www.blueridgewildlifectr.org.