FRENCH CREEK, W.Va. — The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources reports substantial progress in the construction of a new perimeter fence around the West Virginia Wildlife Center in Upshur County. The U.S. Department of Agriculture mandated the fence as part of a renewal of the federal permit to hold the captive animals in the zoological facility in 2024.

“They were kind enough to not give us a hard deadline, but we are in regular communications with them as we make substantial progress on the project,” said Zack Brown, Assistant Chief of Operations for the DNR.

The agency had operated the facility with a waiver for the fence requirement which dated back to the early 1980’s. Brown said it appeared the wavier had remained in place due to the remote nature of the facility, but in 2024, the wavier was no longer accepted . The decision left the facility in a bit of turmoil as it was forced to close temporarily, but later reopened under a new and temporary waiver while the construction process started.

“It is about a two mile fence we need to install, it’s no small undertaking. We’ve been doing our due diligence. The first part of this project required us to clear a 50 foot right of way around three quarters of the facility. The rest already had a fence and we just needed to complete it around the other side,” he explained on West Virginia Outdoors.

The purpose of the fence is to provide a secondary containment area for any animal which escaped from the fenced enclosures in the exhibit area. The specifications call for it to be at least eight feet in height. However, Brown added, the idea was to keep critters out as much as keeping them in.

“As I read the regulations a little closer I think the spirit of it was to also keep wild animals from getting in and having contact with the captive animals as wells a preventing human vandalism,” he explained.

The agency did not anticipate the construction of the fence would have a very big impact on visitors to the facility. The project will be put out to bid and Brown said the target for completion was by this fall.