Dead Animal Removal in Asheville, NC

Why Asheville Has the Dead-Animal Calls It Does

Asheville sits in Buncombe County in the Blue Ridge, and it is the highest black-bear-conflict area in North Carolina. That single fact changes what a dead-animal call looks like here. NCWRC biologists are actively collecting biological information from black bear carcasses across the state, and residents who find a dead bear on their property (or see one on the road) are asked to report it to 866-318-2401 so a biologist can be notified before anything else happens. Beyond bears, the steep-slope neighborhoods of Montford, Kenilworth, Beaverdam, and Town Mountain, plus the Pisgah National Forest edge, produce hard-access recoveries: crawlspace-on-slope construction means a carcass under a structure can be genuinely difficult to reach. Cooler mountain temperatures also slow decomposition relative to the coastal plain, which shifts the odor timeline compared with Wilmington.

Common species calls in greater Asheville: Most-called species in Asheville: raccoon, squirrel, opossum, deer, and (uniquely for this region) black bear, which carries its own NCWRC reporting requirement. Skunk calls peak spring through early summer.

Pickup jurisdiction in Asheville: Report dead black bears to NCWRC at 866-318-2401 before removal. This is an active biological surveillance program, not a formality. Asheville Sanitation collects small dead animals such as a cat, dog or other small household pet when wrapped in a plastic bag and placed at the curb. Call (828) 251-1122 or use The Asheville App; larger carcasses are not addressed on that page. NCDOT handles I-40, I-26, and state-route carcasses. Report road debris at 877-368-4968. Private property is the owner's responsibility; NCWRC does not remove dead animals. Note that relocating live Carnivora (including bear, raccoon, skunk, fox, coyote) is prohibited under 15A NCAC 10B .0106.

Neighborhoods in and around Asheville: Montford, Kenilworth, Beaverdam, Town Mountain, West Asheville, Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Weaverville.