Happy spring!! Animal Wonders has been blossoming just like the first flowers of a Montana spring. Our presentations have taken off and we're happy to be so busy. We attribute the increase in shows to our word of mouth networking and our wonderful relationship with the Montana Natural History Center who does a bit of marketing for us. Their support for Animal Wonders has been priceless in establishing us in the Missoula community. We are ever grateful of their continued interest in our programs and are happy to reciprocate their generosity. Summer is only a couple months away and we are eager to visit their summer camp kids and teach about wildlife and animals on a worldly scale.

We would like to share the good news that our goals from winter have been met! The new flooring in the Mammal Room looks amazing and cleanup is a breeze. Now that one goal is done we are on to the next; a new ventilation system. This will help to circulate and exchange the air so it will be fresh, clean, and much healthier for the animals. The initial meeting to discuss what needs to be done will take place in the next month or so. We're excited to be able to make improvements when needed; even in this poor economy Animal Wonders has flourished! We have been able to make improvements on the Compound, expand our educational reach, increase our marketing, and even accept new animals. Now that's something to be excited about!

On a sadder note, it is with a heavy heart that I share the next bit of news. Tango, the Patagonian Cavy, passed away March 20th, 2011 due to heart failure. This seems to be common in cavies but was very much a surprise to us considering he wasn't even two years old and they can live to be 12. His condition was most likely hereditary and usually undetectable until symptoms arise. Tango was donated from a zoo down in Nevada called Roos N More when he was only a few weeks old. He was Animal Wonders' first high profile mammal and he was responsible for the initial construction of the Animal Compound. The indoor/outdoor enclosure was build specifically for him, giving him access to a dirt floor where he could dig to his heart's content. Well, he did dig and he was always so happy to frolic with his friends Cheeks, the rabbit, and Ash, the chinchilla in his outdoor enclosure. Tango will be sorely missed. In his short life he touched hundreds of other lives and we hope that his memory will live on in his educational works. Thank you Tango for letting us share your life with you.

Onto our main focus for this next month. On May 18th, 2011 we are planning our first annual fundraiser, Bowling For Animals!! This will be held at Westside Lanes in Missoula and run from 5pm-8pm on a Wednesday evening. Entry fee is $15 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under. This is going to be a fun event filled with activities and entertainment! When you attend you will be able to enjoy: free bowling, raffle prizes, food and drink bar, arcade and pool tables, T-shirts, silent auction, 50/50 raffle tickets, and let's not forget Animal Ambassadors throughout the night! So mark it on your calendar and be sure to bring the whole family, there's fun for everyone!

 We would like to thank our generous sponsors: Pet Nebula, Montana Natural History Center, Pruyn Veterinary Hospital, Missoula Children's Museum, Wildlife and Whimsy, Fiesta en Jalisco, and Marquart Chiropractic. They are making this possible and we couldn't be more excited to have so much support for our first fundraiser!! Also another thank you to our many donors. If you would like more information please contact Jessi Castañeda at (406)241-8964 or animalswonders@email.com. You can reserve your lane(s) early to ensure you get a spot with your family and friends. If you would like to volunteer for the event please contact us and we would be more than willing to give you a job! We need greeters, announcers, raffle carriers, organizers, animal bouncers, T-shirt sellers, and excitement starters. Also, since this is our first one, anyone with experience in running a fundraiser would be very much appreciated.

" The fox is the smallest animal in the dog family; and a group of foxes is called a "skulk". Isn’t that AWESOME!"

Animal Wonders is a 501c(3) non-profit organization that is funded entirely by presentation fees and private donations. Donations of any kind are very much appreciated.
Our wish list includes:
Animal caging, toys, and supplies
Animal bedding (wood shavings, shredded paper, towels and blankets)
Volunteer efforts and time - fundraising, grant writing, marketing, toy making, etc.
Money - animal food, enclosures, heating, conferences, etc.

*Animal Wonders Newsletter is sent via email to conserve the use of paper. If you know of anyone else who would like to receive the Newsletter or if you would like to be removed from the list please contact us at: animalwonders@email.com or (406)241-8964.

We are happy to be back!!! Peru was fun but there's no place like home....especially when you have 60+ animals to miss! Our amazing volunteers: Jake, Lindsey, and Sue deserve HUGE kudos for their care and dedication to the animals. Each animals was healthy, clean, and happy upon our return. We were welcomed home by excited dogs, meowing cats, raucous birds, and eager animals in the Mammal Room. Things have settled down now that they have greeted us and we're jumping right back into things here. We're gathering donations and lane reservations for our Bowling For Animals fundraiser on May 18th, and getting the preliminary steps done for putting in a ventilation system into the Animal Compound. We have presentations starting again this weekend and are continuing to make great new contacts in Missoula county. Check back over the next few weeks because exciting things are happening!