Augusto and Jessi will be taking a trip down to Peru to celebrate Augusto's grandfather's 90th birthday! They will be out of town until April 13th but will be in contact with the animal caregivers and will check their emails every few days. If you would like to get in contact with them the best way is by email (animalwonders@email.com) and Jessi will get back to you as soon as she can. The animals are in good hands and will be given the same quality of care that Augusto and Jessi give them every day. A few of the birds will undoubtedly miss their human members of the flock, they will see them again soon and share the joy in reuniting that will outshine all other emotions.

"We wish everyone in Montana a wonderful emergence of spring and expect to see lots of little green sprouts blanketing the hills and fields when we return!" Jessi and Augusto

We always love doing presentations, each one is unique and has its own positive qualities, but then there are those that really stand out and bring a smile every time we think about it for years to come. That's what happened this weekend. We had one of those amazing shows that will be remembered for a very long time. It was just a 5 year old's birthday party and we weren't expecting anything more than our usual fun time. We arrived and started setting up the table and animals in a shed/barn heated with space heaters, the clients knew the animals preferred a warm place to present. The audience started filing in; 3-5 year olds and rows of parents crowded into the space. The kids had just finished their cake, sugar, and were ready to see some animals!! As we waited for the stragglers to make it in I kept the hungry crowd preoccupied with questions of favorite animals and guesses as to what we had brought. As the presentation began the audience participation and enthusiasm was above and beyond our expectation of such a young crowd. Now, I don't know if Goose and I were doing something different, but I give all the credit to the sear joy these kids had to be learning about animals. They had a great reaction to Chalupa, the tarantula, making her appearance on Goose's back after we had "lost" her, but my favorite part was how engaged they were in the lesson of endangered species that Quigley, the brush-tailed bettong, brought to the show. They were thrilled to learn that Quigley had a girlfriend named Babette and that they might have a baby joey in the future which would help keep increase the population for this critically endangered species. We hope to see many of these faces again in the future and also hope that we have many more presentations like this one. I dream that in the future this young generation that has so much enthusiasm for animals and nature can become the majority in this world. And imagine if a few of those become advocated for the environment and share their love and respect to the next generation. Think of how wonderful this world will be when that happens. That is my dream and that is why we do what we do.

We are happy to be very busy this month. We have 7 shows coming up in the next 2 weeks!! All this popularity will really help with our next step in improving the animal compound. We are going to install a nice ventilation system to help filter the air and improve the air quality for all the residents. We have been focused mainly on keeping the compound warm enough to keep the tropical animals comfortable and are happy with the results. This winter had some cold spells with the temperature dropping to -20 degrees and the compound withstood the weather and maintained a cozy 70, 75, and 80 degrees for the Mammal, Bird, and Reptile Rooms. Now we're turning our focus to the air quality and humidity levels. Having 2 rodents who love rolling in dust means that the ventilation system will help filter out the excess dust and dander. This project will begin as soon as the funds come in, we're projecting this will happen by April-May, 2011. We get so excited with every improvement, we love giving the animal residents the best possible habitats that will make them happy and healthy. If you're interested in helping please contact us. If you would like to recommend a contractor that does excellent ventilation work, send them our way!

A great time was had by all at the Montana Natural History Center for Animal Tales - Stories From Around the World. This is our special presentation where we begin each new animal introduction starts with a story from native peoples from around the world. From Australia comes "How Kangaroo Got Her Pouch", from Africa comes "Mother Bird", and from North America comes "Turtle Island". These stories have been passed down from generation to generation and have landed right here in our generation to teach life lessons and help us look at the world from a different perspective.

It's not every day that you get to hear stories with LIVE animals! Even adults have fun during this glorified story time.

All the animals and Jessi and Augusto are ready for spring to come! We love the seasons but we also love spending time outdoors! The birds love to soak up the sunshine and most of the mammals and even some of the reptiles love going for walks around the property. Tango, the Patagonian Cavy, is one of the few that can enjoy a good romp in the snow, but after awhile his super thin legs get a bit cold and we come inside to warm up. Until the snow disappears we've been keeping the animals busy indoors in the new Compound. It was specially built to allow safe spaces for the animals to play and interact with each other (when appropriate). The best play group is Tango (P. Cavy), Cheeks (rabbit), and Ash (chinchilla) playing in the Mammal Room or Tango's Dirt Floor room. Other animals that enjoy a good play session are:
Ginger, the green cheeked conure, who loves to fly across the room and land on a shoulder or head.
Zoe, the red lored Amazon parrot, who loves to be perched within sight of a window to watch the world go by.
Yucca, the red-footed tortoise, who loves to follow feet and try to cram herself into any small crevice that's way to little for her shell to fit.
Jumbuck, the bearded dragon, who is very curious and likes to lick anything new and unidentified.
and Quigley, the brush-tailed bettong, who can really get his hop going when going the length of the Compound.

The next few months are going to be very good for Animal Wonders. We will be installing a new ventilation system in the Compound that will increase the airflow and be better for the overall health and happiness of the animal residents. We will also be making plans to construct a new enclosure in the Mammal Room that can house a new Ambassador.

The most exciting event will be on May 18th when we will hold our first annual fundraiser Bowling For Animals!!!!! This will be held at Westside Lanes in Missoula and will be fun for the whole family! If you are interested in helping Animal Wonders for this event please contact us and we will be more than grateful for your time and energy and/or donations.

Looking forward to our next public presentation at the Montana Natural History Center this Saturday, March 5th from 2:00-3:00pm. Animal Tales: stories from around the world. Hope to see you there!!