In memory of JB (Justin Beaver)

What a busy beaver he is! While we raise funds to build him a large outdoor enclosure with his own pond, he is living with our center Director. He enjoys chewing on her doors, walls, and baseboards. He builds damns from treasures he finds around the house: magazines, recycling bin, lap top, stuffed animals, shoes, rugs, and socks. He builds them by doors, the dishwasher, and in front of the refrigerator. He adores sweet potatoes, apples, white birch, willow, and kale. He likes to swim in the bathtub and often just floats around. He falls asleep with a big wad of baby blanket in his mouth.

Arnie

Arnie was just a couple of months new when he came to us. Unbeknownst to us, he came to us very sick. It was discovered that Arnie has something wrong with his blood. We are still testing him regularly to find out what is it. One day, his blood count was 9. The normal blood count for an armadillo is between 30-40! Arnie needed a blood transfusion, but we did not have another armadillo. We pulled him through that bought. A few weeks later, our center director found Arnie in a coma one morning and it took her almost two hours to revive him! This armadillo could not be more fragile and more loved. He loves playing in water and napping on our center Director.

Juan Carlos

Juan Carlos came to us as a baby still young enough to be bottle fed. Several days after being with us, the discovery was made that something wasn’t quite “right” with him. His health declined. We tried to battle this illness with medicines and supportive care, but he was simply not reason ding to our medicines. He lacks coordination, climbing skills, and running ability: all of which are needed in the wild for survival. We built him a large outdoor enclosure which he loves. Juan Carlos does not visit schools as it really stresses him out being placed in a crate. We don’t make him. People can see him when they visit our center. 

Blackjack

Blackjack was dumped off at a local nature center in a Tupperware box. Unfortunately, he was fed an incorrect diet and suffers a metabolic bone disease making him unable to be released. Blackjack loves to give hugs and is very loving. Blackjack’s current favorite toys are a hanging jingly bell and a plastic happy meal toy. He has a special basket in which he sleeps. Depending on his mood, he chooses a certain toy or stuffed animal to sleep with and it varies each night.

Bacardi

Bacardi, a big brown bat, came to us in very bad shape as he was found on the floor of a local business with several compound fractures. We had to operate on Bacardi’s wing…twice… for his survival but he is doing so well and is so sweet. He is a favorite to take to classes as both kids and adults love seeing how cute he is. During classes, he is wrapped in a baby washcloth for his comfort. I call this our “bat burrito”. Why is his name Bacardi? Bats are important pollinators of sugar which is used in the making of this drink. They dos eat petty bugs that attack corn, which is also needed in manufacturing bourbon.

Amelia and Harriet

Amelia and Harriet, named after female pilots, are southern flying squirrels. These girls are very socialable and super fast! They like to run around on you and find a cozy spot for a piece of pecan. They sleep in thier “pocket pouch” each night storing left overs inside there as well. They are both notorious for chewing holes in both insides of their pouches. We think they chew “back doors” on them. They do love to peek their tiny noses out of this doors and check things out.

Apache

Apache was an emergency intake for whom Animal Control asked us for assistance. He had to be removed from his home due to hoarding and neglect. The first thing we did with him was get him clean. Man was he filthy! We put him on a good diet and he has eaten every bite ever since. We know that he was living with dogs and some of his behavior reflects that. He does climb on your lap if you are sitting on the ground. He stands on his back legs begging for attention or food. When he hears us, he comes running! He is such a people-tortoise. Is that a thing? Apache enjoys being the star of our popular Turtle Yoga. He works the room just like a politician. 

Pepperoni

Danica

Danica is the most laid-back skunk that we have ever had. Having come in with several siblings very close to death, she has blossomed into a very sweet and very large skunk. Her favorite activity is getting fat while sunggling in her bed under a chair that was purchased just for her. You would never know that initially, she was very delayed in her devlopment. Every once and a while she will enjoy a stroll around the center, normally heading to the “bat room” to hunt escaped meal worms. Danica is the only non releasable skunk that we have had that will allow multiple people to pick her up. Skunks tend to like only one or two people. Danica is favorite amungst our eduction ambasadors. She has helped teach many classes. We will call her the most studious.

Bougie

Rawlings

Rawlings came to us as a pup that had experienced some trauma. We believe he was attacked by a dog. He has a slash over his eye, all of his canines were broke, and he was having seizures. Fluid therapy really helped with his seizures. He has not had one since his first few nights with us. His eye did not heal completely. It is not as apparent now that he is full grown, but one eye is larger than the other. That larger eye does not dilate properly which means he’d have trouble locating and catching his dinner each night. Rawlings has remained friendly and social but can be pretty energetic. He is a fox, after all. They are so smart, so curious, so busy, way faster than any person is! Foxes are notorious escape artists so we spent a lot of time making sure his outdoor enclosure is very safe. Foxes do NOT make good pets as some people may hope. They scent mark with their urine which is quite potent in smell. They are very territorial and can extremely destructive. They need room too run and constant mental enrichment. Rawlings gets new toys and activities regularly. He loves stuffed animals. His way of playing with them is ripping them apart. He sure enjoys doing that, though! He also likes to play with tennis and heavy duty plastic balls. Maybe a soccer ball is in his near future….

Rocket

Rocket is unique to us. Although we provide percent sanctuary to animals, it is primarily to native Kentucky wildlife. Rocket is an exception. He is an African Sulcata tortoise, the third largest tortoise species in the world. These guys can live over 70 years! Rocket was in need of a good home that offered him plenty of space. Rocket came from a lady who was keeping him under her trailer! He kept escaping.  We now give him time outside and around the center to roam. Rocket loves being placed in the bath to soak. When he hears the water turn on, he steps on your feet and waits to be picked up. He also loves to sit by his favorite window getting natural sunlight. He does try to hunt crumbs on the floor tossed out by squirrels that might be under our current care. Rocket really is awesome! He is a quiet, rather laid-back tortoise.

Farrah

Farrah was rescued from the pet trade. We flew to Texas on a Tuesday to get several Egyptian fruit bats and drove all the way back to Kentucky on Wednesday. Farrah is one of 10 Egyptian fruit bats that now have a safe and enriching environment to spend the rest of their lives. Farrah only has one leg and we estimate her age to be between 16-22 years old. Egyptian fruit bats tend to live 25 years in captivity. Farrah is one of only two bats that will accept a slice of banana from a hand. She has a couple of favorite stuffed animals to hang from which include a green dinosaur and brown mouse with a red and white polka dot shirt. Those are always her go-tos when landing from flight.

Olive

Olive came in with the rest of our Egyptian fruit bat colony. Olive is a boy, despite his name. It morphed from ‘I love im” to Olive. Although we do not know Olive’s exact age, we think he had been caught up in the pet trade his entire life which could be between 16-18 years. Egytptian fruit bats only live around 20-22. Olive has a bad thumb and has difficulty hanging. He is flighted and accesses his food great, though. We do place some on the ground as well as hanging some. His favorite spot used to be in one particular corner on the ground. Then he moved to a covered area but still on the ground. The first day he moved panicked us all because we couldn’t find him! We have since made him a special little covered hammock on the ground. After dinner, he retreats to this hammock where he spends most of the night before returning to his covered spot. During the night, he does have a friend come visit and snuggle with him for  while. We are in love with Olive.