With summer in full swing, now is a perfect time to explore some of the unique wildlife and animal sanctuaries across Illinois!

If you’re looking for an outstanding birdwatching opportunity, Stewart Lake Wildlife Sanctuary in Mason County is a sanctuary with over 1,500 acres of beautiful wetlands. It serves as a key resting location for teal, pintails and mallards as they migrate across Illinois. Another great option for wetland animal sightings in Illinois is Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge in Havana. Whether you’re looking for a wetland, bottomland forest or prairie, this refuge has hikes in a variety of ecosystems, all available to the public. It is home to a variety of herons and swans and if you’re lucky, you may even see a river otter or beaver while you’re there.

For those in southern Illinois, War Bluff Valley Wildlife Sanctuary is a beautiful location to visit. Surrounded by the Shawnee National Forest, this sanctuary holds an important habitat for the red-shouldered hawk. Sightings of the timber rattlesnake and golden mouse have also been reported in the area.

For a more up-close, interactive sanctuary, make sure to pay a visit to Wedrose Acres in Gridley Illinois. It is home to pigs, horses, alpacas and several other rescued animals for you to meet and feed. Make sure to schedule a tour to learn some the miraculous, uplifting rescue stories that saved these animals.

Sanctuaries and preserves managed by the Illinois Audubon Society can be found here.