We would like to give a huge shout out to two of our volunteers, Jake and Dan! You guys were amazing helping Augusto install the insulation in the floor of the Animal Compound. The animals are thanking your for keeping their toes warm this winter!

The last few weeks have been very nice and calm. All of the animal residents are happy and healthy, just the way we like them! Blueberry, the blue tongue skink has moved from Quarantine into the Reptile Room. She is doing great. Joli, the European starling, has also moved from Quarantine and joined the rest of the flock in the Bird Room. She has been introduced to Lovie, the love bird, and they are getting along very well. Lovie used to be roommates with Ray, the rainbow lorikeet, but we recently adopted Ginger, the greencheck conure, and they became friends immediately and we didn't want to separate such a great friendship. So Lovie was looking for a friend and Joli just happened to fit the bill. As I always say, only another bird can fill the constant interaction that a bird needs to stay mentally healthy. Human interaction can add to and benefit a bird, but they need constant stimulation. That is the reason that we always try to pair our bird residents with a compatible companion.

Our newest resident, Ginger, will be added to our permit and will be joining the Animal Ambassador team shortly. She is an amazingly people friendly bird and is very motivated to learn. She could be our next big star!

It's bee too long since our last update. I apologize for the delay. We've been busy getting ready for the cold of the winter months that are coming too soon. The heaters have been turned up and the windows given an extra seal. We've also been working to get the floor of the Compound insulated to help reduce cold toes and energy efficiency. We received a donation from Pro Build and then a very kind donation from a private donor that covered the rest of the project. The insulation will be going in as soon as possible.

We are in the process of trying to introduce a new roommate to Oliver. Her name is Ginger and she is a Green Cheek Conure. We are hoping they will become friends and give each other the companionship only a bird can give another bird. Right now Ginger is much more interested in people than she is in becoming buddies with Oliver. She gets jealous that he might receive attention from us and so she chases him off. We will take the time to let them interact on neutral terms until we are confident that they can be together unsupervised. This is a very detailed and complex situation and should not be tried without extensive knowledge on bird behavior. Most birds of different species (and some of the same species) should never be left together unsupervised due to the dangers of just one thing going wrong. We want to keep our feathered friends safe from dangers, even that of another of our feathers friends.

We have also started a seasonal newsletter for those of you who would like to keep up to date with the goings on at Animal Wonders. If you are interested in receiving the Newsletter please email us with your request at animalwonders@email.com.