Our critter encounter posts are always very popular around here.
We love animals and write about them often – and especially when we have a unique experience getting up close and personal with new furry friends.
Our red panda experience at the Columbus Zoo was a definite highlight in 2022. The zoo’s VIP behind-the-scenes tours and animal encounters are pricey, but super cool and worthwhile.
Last year, we had close encounters of the farm animal kind when we visited Harrison Farm during baby goat season. We also had several wonderful interactions with wild and free critters while sharing a beach in Kauai with both sea turtles and sleepy Hawaiian monk seals.
I have high hopes for our animal encounters in 2024. Late last year, I heard about a new-to-us critter experience in Bremen, Ohio, which is only about an hour from Columbus. They offer both otter and sloth encounters. It sounded like a must-do for us!
Z has always been a fan of “experience gifts” so for Christmas, she got tickets for a critter visit at Paws and Claws Animal Encounters.
When giving experiences as a gift, I like to get creative with how I present it. This time, I printed out a bunch of cute animal photos from the Paws and Claws Facebook page, then put them in a box and gift-wrapped it. When Z opened the box and looked through the photos, she got so excited and knew immediately what it was all about!
Last month, we finally got to visit Paws and Claws for one of their highly-rated critter encounters. It was everything we hoped it would be and more! The farm is located in a beautiful and very hilly area of Ohio, so driving there on snow-covered roads was interesting to say the least.
When we first pulled into the driveway at Paws and Claws (you know you’re in the right place when you see the foxes on the mailbox), we immediately saw a snowy field full of very furry grazing animals including cows, a yak, a goat and a camel.
Then, we were welcomed by our hosts and their cute dog. We were invited into a large room where a sloth, armadillo and toucan were on display in a large, nicely furnished enclosure. We sat in a circle with about eight other people and Sara began our critter encounters!
I loved that Sara was passionate about her animals’ well-being and knew them as well as we know our own dogs and cat. Paws and Claws is primarily an exotic animal rescue and Sara takes in many animals that are very young, very old or need special care.
She keeps the visiting human groups small – no more than 10 people, and no very young kiddos – and every critter interaction is a little different based on what is safe and amenable to each species.
For example, we each got to hold Tank the armadillo and then he was set loose to do zoomies around the room. If you haven’t witnessed a little armadillo doing zoomies past your feet, trust me when I say it’s a can’t-miss experience!
For Kiara the kinkajou, our encounter involved her jumping onto each guest and walking along our shoulders before leaping to the next person. Taking a selfie with a fast-moving kinkajou is a new skill for my LinkedIn profile!
We also got to meet Tookie the Toucan, Calliope the sloth, an adorable baby kangaroo in a mock pouch and Clementine the porcupine. All were delightful, but Lila and Otis, the mischievous small-clawed otters, were the stars of the day.
Before Lila and Otis ran into the room, Sara filled the center of our circle with various toys and other items to capture their interest. Otters apparently love to play and play! Sara also told us that otters love Crocs, so Z immediately took off her Crocs and placed them in front of her; this proved to be an extremely strategic move.
Suddenly, the little otters ran into the circle and began playing with every person and toy in turn… for approximately 1.5 seconds each. They were so quick to move on to the next interesting item to catch their eye. Zoe was about the only person who was able to keep their interest for very long – thanks in part to her irresistible Crocs!
Sara said otters have an attention span of about four seconds, but I think she was being generous. In addition to being fast-moving, otters are mischievous, adorable and their fur is so soft and smooth. We loved playing with Lila and Otis and spending time with them!
Our time at Paws and Claws was both enjoyable and educational. Sara shared so much great information about each species and the exotic animal rescue and rehabilitation work she clearly takes very seriously. After our formal critter encounters, we were invited to walk around outside and visit the other animals in their enclosures. We saw foxes, an owl and adorable newborn baby goats.
Apparently, during warmer weather there usually far more critters to see, including kangaroos and capybara, but those were understandably not on display on the cold and snowy day we visited. Both Z and I really want to go back to Paws and Claws in the spring to see all our animal friends and meet even more!
In addition, sometime in 2024 we also plan to visit either the Ohio Canid Center in Heath or Westmeister Farm in Shelby for more new-to-us critter experiences.
Have you been to either of these animal encounter farms or are there others we should visit? We’d love your tips and recommendations in the comments below or over on Facebook or Instagram.
