Area 445.6 km² Established 1963 | Phone +1 252-796-3004 | |
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Governing body U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Website Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge Hours Open today · 9AM–3PMWednesday9AM–3PMThursday9AM–3PMFriday9AM–3PMSaturdayClosedSundayClosedMonday9AM–3PMTuesday9AM–3PMSuggest an edit Management | ||
The Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks on the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula in Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington Counties, North Carolina. Its headquarters is located in Columbia.
Pocosin Lakes NWR was established in 1990. Originally, the 12,000-acre (49 km2) southwestern portion of the refuge was established in 1963 as the Pungo National Wildlife Refuge, but was merged in 1990 with Pocosin Lakes. The National Wildlife Refuge is 110,106 acres (446 km2), and approximately 90,000 acres (364 km2) were donated.
This refuge is home to indigenous animals such as the black bear, alligator, two species of fox, bobcat, raccoon, coyote, opossum, beaver, river otter, mink, and red wolf.
On June 1, 2008, lightning struck the refuge and started a wildfire that had, as of 17 September 2008, spread to about 40,704 acres (164.72 km2), and was completely contained. The fire was declared out on January 9, 2009.