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@ Dutch Guinea Pig
Geraldine begins her journey to encounter Cute pets!
Dutch Guinea Pig
The Dutch Guinea Pig—named after the Dutch Rabbit with the same patterning—is a short-haired, two-tone cavy with a specific white pattern: a blaze on the face, a wide white band around the neck, chest, and the belly, including the front paws, and white tips on the hind feet. Five colours are accepted by the British Cavy Council: Red, Black, Chocolate, Cream, Lilac, and 5 Agouti colours—hair exhibiting two or more bands of pigmentation—Golden, Silver, Cinnamon, Cream, and Chocolate. A fun fact, Guinea Pigs, due to the shape of their heads, can see above and behind themselves.

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@ European Wild Piglet

Blue And Copper Egg
The first painted eggs came from Mesopotamia, and because eggs were forbidden food during Lent, people painted eggs while Lent was being observed—after Lent, they would eat the eggs on Easter Day.

Beautifully decorated eggs “pysanka” are associated with Ukraine, and the oldest painted egg that was unearthed in northern Ukraine is dated to the end of the 17th century.

European Wild Piglet
Baby pigs are born into a litter of 4-6 piglets, though a litter can be as large as 10-12. They are born in a nest made of twigs, grass and leaves. Weighing at birth 1 ½ to 2 pounds, they have stripes of darker fur running the length of their body—that aids in camouflage, which will disappear at around 3 months of age.
The baby pig will spend the first week in the nest, nursing and gaining strength from the sow's rich milk. At two weeks, the piglet will follow the sow on her foraging travels, though still getting milk from the sow until the piglet is approx 3 months old. The piglet—at around 3 weeks—will start to take part in adult feeding behaviour. If danger appears, the piglets will stand still or take cover in the grass relying on the stripes in their fur to help hide its presence.

Fun facts about pigs; they are very clean, they don’t sweat—they don’t have sweat glands—so “sweat like a pig” is not an accurate saying. Pigs have great memories, love to play, are good swimmers and are smarter than dogs.

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@ Guinea Pig, Black
Geraldine and Lunaray had shaken paws and then took some time to enjoy looking at the next creature in its habitat in a companionable silence!
Guinea Pig, Black
Often times the Rex and Teddy Guinea Pig are mistaken for each other. The Rex has short hair that grows outward all over, and the Teddy has hair that grows forward on the body and backward on the face creating a small ridge or fringe of hair above the eyes. The hair of the Teddy is softer as well.
Guinea pigs are active 20 hours a day, whew! They cannot climb but are excellent hiders. They love to explore and are social butterflies. Guinea pigs love to chatter, and being intelligent, they get bored easily, so they need to have objects to play with.

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@ Albert's Squirrel
“Have you seen those fabulous pink and white flamingo suncatchers in the giftshop, Geraldine?” asked Geoffrey. “I'm going to buy one as a souvenir of our time here!”
“Sounds great!” responded Geraldine.

Albert's Squirrel
The Albert’s Squirrel or tassel-eared squirrel is native to the Southern Rocky Mountains of the U.S to the Northern Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico. Inhabiting Ponderosa Pine stands or Arizona Pine stands. This squirrel feeds mainly on Ponderosa Pine seeds, bark, and cones but will also eat carrion, bones, antlers, and fungi.
Characterized by its long ear tufts—which can be up to an inch long— grey coat with a white underbelly and a red strip of hair on its back. Nests are built using twigs and lined with various materials most often built on the south to the southeastern side of the tree, high up in the canopy of Ponderosa Pines.

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@ Domestic Guinea Pig
“You never know what sort of critter to expect next, do you, Sadie?" whispered Geraldine. “You know, small, cute and furry or really quite, um, large, with—er—very sharp teeth.” Sadie reassured Geraldine that all the critters were looking forward to meeting them, regardless of size, furriness, attractiveness and/or pointiness of teeth.
Domestic Guinea Pig
The Guinea Pig or Cavy originated in South America. This little rodent comes in a wide variety of breeds, some with long hair like the Peruvian Guinea Pig, some with whorls in its rough fur like the Abyssinian Guinea Pig, and some with short hair like the English or Common Guinea Pig. There is also a hairless breed nicknamed “skinny pig.”
Studies suggest the Guinea Pig is not an animal found in the wild, but is a domesticated relative of the Montane Guinea Pig, a wild Guinea Pig found in the Andes in South America. The Guinea Pig was originally domesticated as livestock. Introduced to Europe and North America in the 16th century, the Guinea Pig gained popularity as a pet because they are docile creatures that accept handling.
Guinea Pigs are social creatures and do best when they have companions. When startled, the Guinea Pig will freeze or dart quickly in haphazard directions. When a Guinea Pig is excited or happy, it will perform small hops in the air, known as popcorning. Though good swimmers, the Guinea Pig does not like to have wet fur and requires a bath seldomly.

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@ Sika Fawn
While Geraldine paused to drink in the view, Roy started scrabbling in her rucksack for her portable, foldable camping chair. “What are you doing with that, Roy?” asked Geraldine. “We’ll need to get going in a minute or we’ll be left behind!”
Sika Fawn
The Sika deer, also known as spotted deer or Japanese deer, is native to most of East Asia and was introduced to other areas of the world. The Sika deer keeps its spots as an adult, and the spots vary in pattern depending on the region they live in.
The doe gives birth to a single fawn, weighing between 10 and 15 pounds (4.5-7kg). Hiding her fawn in the tall grasses, the baby stays still and quiet while awaiting the return of its mother. The fawn is nursed for up to 10 months and gains independence after a year.

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@ Mongolian Gerbil
“Did you see what happened to Foxy earlier, Unigy?” exclaimed Geraldine. "He was balancing on a log trying to take a selfie with one of the critters we met, and it rolled over and pitched him into a bank of nettles!"
Unigy joined in Geraldine's heartless laughter. “He was still brushing bits of nettle out of his fur when we went for lunch!”
Mongolian Gerbil
The Mongolian Gerbil is a small rodent found in grasslands, desert and shrubland, and steppes in Mongolia, China, and Russia. They live in small family groups in burrows that can have up to 20 exits, with burrows connecting to neighbouring families. When fully grown, they measure 5-6 inches long with a tail of 3-4 inches and weigh 2-4 ounces.
Gerbils became popular pets after 1954 when scientists brought the little rodent to the U.S.A from eastern Mongolia, and in the UK in 1964 when the Gerbil was brought from the U.S.A. They make good pets because they are small and easily handled, are very sociable and seem to enjoy the company of humans. The gerbil is not aggressive and not prone to biting unless provoked or stressed.
Gerbils have adapted their kidneys to produce minimum waste, in order to conserve water, which makes them very clean with little odour. They come in a variety of colours of fur, the most common being golden agouti, but there is also white, blue, lilac, and grey, plus different fur patterns like piebald and spotted.

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@ Peahen With Peachicks
“Oh hello, Geraldine!” cried Fidelis. “Didn’t we bump into each other in Turkey back in the spring? This is quite the change of scene, isn't it!”
"It certainly is!" declared Geraldine.
Peahen With Peachicks
The name Peacock refers to the male, and collectively they are Peafowl. The female has muted colours and no train/tail. The muted colours of the female serve to act as camouflage to protect themselves and their bright white eggs from predators.
Flight is not what the Peafowl excel at—they can fly high enough, 16 feet, to roost in trees at night and fly short distances to reach new feeding grounds. Peafowl relies on their colouring to hide in the bushes and trees—and they have excellent eyesight, enabling them to see danger well in advance. The Peafowl employs a series of 11 screams or crows—much louder than a roosters call—to warn of danger and attract a mate during mating season.
The eggs of the Peahen incubate for 27-30 days, and when the Peachick emerges, they weigh around 3.6 ounces. Covered in light brown fluffy down with striped wing feathers, the Peachick won’t reach full maturity until 3 years of age.

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@ Ground Squirrel
"I think there'll be quite a few tired paws, wings and flippers when we get back to the tour bus," said DORTE, after she and Geraldine had spent some time exploring another rural pathway to its end and meeting nearby inhabitants.
"Is there a gift shop at the end?" enquired Geraldine. "The thought of that generally keeps me going."
Ground Squirrel
There are 62 species of Ground Squirrel, and they can be found in most countries but not in South America. They live in colonies and dig dens 2.5 to 6 feet below the surface and 15-30 feet long, with many entrances—in order to escape to safety should danger threaten. In the den, they can rest, store food and raise their young and hibernate in colder climates

If the squirrel lives where it is cold during the winter, they will hibernate from Sept. to March. During hibernation, every few weeks the squirrel shiver and shake bringing the body temperature back up to normal, if the squirrel did not do this, it would eventually freeze. Hibernation is a way to survive harsh cold winters when food is scarce or not available.

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@ Tabby Cat
“Great to see you again, Choose a name!” cried Geraldine. “I don't think we've met since we bumped into each other in Canada this time last year. This is quite a different excursion, isn't it?”
"It is, indeed!" declared Choose a name.
Tabby Cat
Tabby is not a breed but a fur pattern and shows the connection between the domesticated cat and its ancestors, the African Wildcat. The domestication of cats is not like the domestication of dogs. Cats have not undergone any major changes, and their form and behaviour remain very much the same as their wild ancestors. Cats are perfectly able to revert and live as wild creatures.

Around 10,000 years ago, with farming, mice were attracted to stores of grain, and cats that were tolerant of humans decided it would be advantageous to live closer to humans and reap the benefits.

Cats sleep 13-16 hours a day, and they can jump six times their own body length. One year of cat life is equal to 15 years of human life. Cats purr when content but also to self-soothe and help heal—-and the frequency of a cat's purr can heal bone and tissue.

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@ English Cream, Golden Retriever Puppy
“Great to see you again, Choose a name!” cried Geraldine. “I don't think we've met since we bumped into each other in Canada this time last year. This is quite a different excursion, isn't it?”
"It is, indeed!" declared Choose a name.
English Cream, Golden Retriever Puppy
The Golden Retriever is a Scottish breed of dog. The breed was created by Sir Dudley Marjoribanks, at his Scottish estate Guisachan, in the late 19th century. A Tweed Water Spaniel was crossed with a yellow-coloured retriever, which produced four pups. Further breeding was done, including the Irish setter, bloodhound, St. John's water dog, and black retrievers. The breed was recognized in 1913.
A medium-size dog that is smart, loyal, and affectionate, cheerful with everyone and even other animals, making it a wonderful family friend. They like nothing more than to spend quality time with their human family. They remain puppy-like for many years, so good training is a must. The Golden Retriever is very athletic, so it needs plenty of walks and runs.
The Golden Retriever is the most popular breed in the U.S.A and the second most popular in Canada. The Golden Retriever is also one of the most popular breeds as a therapy dogs—they have endless love and empathy and are very patient.

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@ Black-Capped Chickadee
“Did you see those 2023 calendars in the giftshop?” asked Geraldine. "Each month features one of the critters we've met on our mini-safari! I'm going to buy one to hang up behind my model Fiat 500 from Turin and my ceramic Welsh clog from our British Isles tour."
"Sounds a great idea!" agreed Princess. "I think I'll get one for my mum."
Black-Capped Chickadee
Small birds that are beloved by many, with their tiny body, round heads with black caps, and their curiosity about everything, including humans. The Black-Capped Chickadee will hide seeds, and other foods, each item of food placed in a different spot, and the Chickadee can remember thousands of hiding spots.
A very unusual trait of the Black-Capped Chickadee; each fall the Chickadee will let particular brain neurons—that contain old information—die off. New neurons are created so the Chickadee can adapt to changes in the environment and within its flock. Chickadee calls are complex and language-like. The more dee notes in the chickadee-dee-dee call, the higher the threat of danger.

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@ Piping Plover With Chick
"Wasn’t it worth coming all this way, Geraldine," said Moo, "for this experience alone?" Geraldine, admiring the creature at the centre of the scene they were now in, heartily agreed!
Piping Plover With Chick
Found on: the Atlantic coast, the Great Lakes, midwest Canada, and the U.S.A. The Piping Plover forages food on the beaches and rocky shores—running in short bursts—eating insects, marine worms, and crustaceans. They migrate south to the Bahamas in the winter.

When making a nest, a site is chosen away from the water edge, and a small scape is created and lined with shells or small pebbles. After the chicks hatch, they can feed themselves within hours, and the adult’s role is to protect them from the elements by brooding them. The sandy colouring of the chicks means they are less likely to be spotted in the sand. If danger threatens, the adult Plovers will pretend to have a broken wing to bring attention to themselves and lead the predator away from the chicks. When the chicks can fly 50 yards (46 m) when they are around a month old, they are independent.

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@ Rabbit At Dawn
“You never know what sort of critter to expect next, do you, Abhoy?" whispered Geraldine. “You know, small, cute and furry or really quite, um, large, with—er—very sharp teeth.” Abhoy reassured Geraldine that all the critters were looking forward to meeting them, regardless of size, furriness, attractiveness and/or pointiness of teeth.
Rabbit At Dawn
It is dawn, the sun is just now rising above the horizon, and it is time for this rabbit to greet the morning and find some clover and grass to munch on. The rabbit is happy and will do a little jump, a binky if you please, to show how excited it is to start a new day. This rabbit may even purr if it comes across a particularly tasty patch of clover.

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@ Calico Cat
Oh look ... you won a pet!
Calico Cat
A Calico cat is not a breed—it is a specific fur colouration that can occur in any breed of cat. To be considered Calico, three colours must be present. Typically female, the calico colouring can rarely occur in male cats–approx one in three thousand may be male. The fur colour of a Calico cat is white, orange and black—with some variation, such as cream, blue-black and reddish-brown—either in bold shades or diluted.
In folklore, a Calico cat is said to bring good luck. Maneki Neko figure, a good luck symbol in Japan, is based on the tri-coloured bobtail cats, and the figurines always have one paw raised—sometimes both. One of the paws will hold a coin.

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@ Meerkat, On Lookout
“Great to see you again, Rosco!” cried Geraldine. “I don't think we've met since we bumped into each other in Canada this time last year. This is quite a different excursion, isn't it?”
"It is, indeed!" declared Rosco.
Meerkat, On Lookout
The Meerkat is the smaller, in size, member of the Mongoose family. The Meerkat weighs 1-2 pounds and is 10-14 inches long, compared to the Mongoose, which can weigh 1-10 pounds with a length of up to 3 feet long. The fur of the Meerkat has many more markings, and they are always fawn with silver/grey highlights and always have a black tip on their tails, while the Mongoose fur can range in colours, and the tips of their tails can be white or black. The Meerkat is social,l and the Mongoose is more solitary.
Meerkats live in social communities, helping each other out, alerting other Meerkats to danger and working together to defend their burrows. Meerkats are also active at night, while the Mongoose is active during the day.

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@ Getting Ready To Pounce, Tabby Cat
Geraldine and Choose a name shook paws and said “How do you do?” to the next creature who had come to meet them, and posed for a souvenir photo. “Why am I always on the left?” grumbled Geraldine. “Let’s change sides.”
“No,” said Choose a name. “Being on the right shows my best side.”
Getting Ready To Pounce, Tabby Cat
This little cat has spotted something that caught its attention. Getting ready to pounce on a toy or littermate or a meal when the cat is older is part of the hunting process. The eyes become fixed and dilated, the rear end is wiggled—which grounds the cat and provides greater traction—then the arching leap onto whatever has caught the cat's fancy. Did the toy make a get-a-way, or was the cat able to claim its prize?

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@ House Sparrow Finds Water
"Wasn’t it worth coming all this way, Geraldine," said Koo, "for this experience alone?" Geraldine, admiring the creature at the centre of the scene they were now in, heartily agreed!
House Sparrow Finds Water
This sparrow is taking advantage of the water dripping from a pipe. House Sparrows can be found in urban and rural settings, taking advantage of human habitation. The House Sparrow is not likely to be found in extensive woodlands, grasslands, or deserts if there is no human development.
The House Sparrow is a small bird known to be aggressive, destroying the nests of competing species and even attacking the adult birds. Not a water bird—yet the House Sparrow has no problem swimming to escape predators.

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@ Dachshund At Play
Geraldine and Munich shook paws and said “How do you do?” to the next creature who had come to meet them, and posed for a souvenir photo. “Why am I always on the left?” grumbled Geraldine. “Let’s change sides.”
“No,” said Munich. “Being on the right shows my best side.”
Dachshund At Play
A long-bodied dog with short legs, the Dachshund may have trouble going over some obstacles and up and down stairs, but this won’t stop the Dachshund from wanting to play. The Dachshund in 1972 was named the first Olympic mascot—designing the marathon route in the shape of a Dachshund. In German, the name Dachshund means Badger dog as this dog was bred to hunt badgers. The short legs keep the dog close to the ground, which helps with tracking a scent, and their narrow bodies help when entering burrows.

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@ Red Fox Kit
“Let’s pose with one of us each side of our new friend and I’ll set the self-timer to take a group shot,” said Geraldine to piper. “It’ll be a fab souvenir of our time here!”
Red Fox Kit
A baby fox is called a kit, but a Kit Fox is not a baby fox unless it is a Kit Fox kit. Baby foxes are also called pups or cubs. Foxes have an incredible hearing— which they use to catch small mammals and insects—and a sense of smell they can even smell food buried underground.
When a fox kit is born, it will weigh between 2.5 and 4 ounces (70-113 grams), tripling in size in a week. After three months, the baby fox is able to start catching its own food, and their eye colour changes from blue to the eye colour of an adult fox.
Foxes communicate using 28 different calls, yips, barks, and howls, and they can run at speeds up to 30 miles per hour (48km).

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@ Peeking Out, Red Fox
“Let’s pose with one of us each side of our new friend and I’ll set the self-timer to take a group shot,” said Geraldine to Tammie. “It’ll be a fab souvenir of our time here!”
Peeking Out, Red Fox
I am shy and yet curious, so I will just stay here, partly hidden, until I can determine whether it is safe to come out and continue my day of looking for food and playing or if I need to watch a little longer.

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@ Prairie Dog
“Ooh, that’s a scary looking creature!” whispered Jack. “It’s bigger than me! I’ll stay here and wait for you to come back.”
“C’mon, Jack, it’ll be fine—it’s not so very big; it's a trick of perspective, and anyway, it’s looking forward to meeting us!” said Geraldine.
Prairie Dog
A species of ground squirrel native to the grasslands of North America. They are considered keystone species–keystone species are critical in maintaining the ecology of an area. Other keystone species are hummingbird, grizzly bear, sea otter, and starfish, to name but a few.
Prairie Dogs live in large colonies or towns, and their families can inhabit hundreds of acres. A Prairie Dog colony can have upward of 26 family groups.
Prairie Dogs have a complex language, with specific calls and actions depending on the threat. If a hawk is detected, a Prairie Dog will sound a call, and those in the flight path of the Hawk will dive into their burrow, while those Prairie Dogs outside of the flight path will stand and watch. If a call is sounded—because of a human intrusion, all the Prairie Dogs will rush to take cover. The vocabulary of the Prairie Dog is more advanced than any other animal language that has been decoded. If that human is wearing blue and is tall, the calling Prairie Dog will not only call that a human is near but also that the human is wearing blue and is tall.

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@ American Robin,Taking A Bath
Lilly was distracted by the sounds of loud rustling as Geraldine unfolded a very large tourist map, in the course of which she succeeded in knocking Lilly’s sunhat off.
“Put that away, do!” said Lilly, in some irritation. “We’re about to pose with this amazing creature—the picture will be of your map if you don’t fold it up pronto!”
American Robin,Taking A Bath
The American Robin is the most abundant bird in North America, well known for its red breast. It is active during the day and gathers in large flocks at night. When a robin is seen—in many places—you know spring is on the way, as the Robin is one of the first birds to lay its eggs on returning from its wintering home. The American Robin is also one of the first birds to greet the morning with its songs, and the male American Robin is one of the last to sing before night falls. Is the proverbial early bird who catches the worm speaking about the Robin?

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@ Red Squirrel, Sciurus Vulgaris
“How do you do?” said Geraldine to their amazing and friendly new acquaintance on their mini-safari, shaking paws.
Goldie chipped in. “It’s so kind of you to allow us to visit you in your habitat. Geraldine and I—and all the rest of us, of course!—are enjoying our mini-safari very much indeed!”
Red Squirrel, Sciurus Vulgaris
The Red Squirrel is a species of tree squirrel, common in Europe and Asia. The coat is reddish, though other colours can exist, much like hair colour in human populations. This squirrel sheds its coat twice a year. In winter, the squirrel's coat turns a darker red with the ear tufts growing longer–a prominent distinguishing feature of this squirrel.
The Red Squirrel spends up to 80 percent of its time foraging and feeding; resting in the middle of the day in summer to avoid the heat and predators, with the resting period in winter being shorter or absent entirely, though during a very harsh period in winter the squirrel may stay in its nest for days. The nest or drey is a domed-shaped nest made of twigs and lined with moss, leaves, bark, or grass. Sometimes woodpecker holes will be used as a nest.

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@ European Hedgehog
Geraldine and Zuri had shaken paws and then took some time to enjoy looking at the next creature in its habitat in a companionable silence!
European Hedgehog
The European Hedgehog is native to Europe, from Iberia to Italy, Scandinavia, and the British Isles. They range from grasslands to orchards and prefer cultivated land, gardens, parks, and land close to human settlements.
Hedgehogs construct summer and winter nests. Summer nests are used for sleep during the day and are loosely constructed of grass and leaves. Sometimes a hedgehog will find a leaf pile, or they might make use of a rabbit hole. The winter nests, hibernacula, need to be well insulated, waterproof and be able to keep the temperature inside at between 0C to 5C, as 1-4C (34-39F) seems to be the appropriate body temperature for a hibernating. Low enough to conserve energy while avoiding tissue freezing which would result in frost-bite.

Some interesting facts about hedgehogs, they used to be called Urchins. They can't tolerate lactose. A hedgehog has over 5000 spikes; after a year, the spike drops out and is replaced. They help gardeners by eating pests like caterpillars and beetles.

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@ House Mouse
“What an amazing creature!” exclaimed Geraldine. Cashmere agreed with Geraldine. “I’m seeing so many animals, birds and insects that I’ve never seen before!”
House Mouse
Originally from Eurasia but following humans on ships, the House Mouse is on every continent. They are adaptive, and wherever humans are the House Mouse can thrive. They are smart and have a great sense of smell, but they really don’t care for strong botanical scents, and they can see as well as humans.
Because the House Mouse lives alongside humans, they are always with us, so these small nocturnal creatures have been domesticated as pets, feature in many children's stories, and have poems written about them—one by the famous Robert Burns, who when plowing his field ruined a mouse house and wrote a poem, To A Mouse, about the experience.

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@ Young Rabbit Enjoying The View
“Whatever were those screaming noises you were making earlier, Enterbeauty a name for this pet?" exclaimed Geraldine.
Enterbeauty a name for this pet looked embarrassed. "That wasn't screaming. That was me, er, singing, to enable the safari guide to find me when I couldn't find my way out of that cave!"
Young Rabbit Enjoying The View
Is this bunny contemplating the day ahead, or maybe it is thinking about what lays beyond the waves. Rabbits have good long-distance vision and excellent—near 360 degree—vision around their body. A rabbit's ears are capable of being rotated 270 degrees, and they can hear a wider range of sounds than humans.

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@ Canada Goose With Gosling
Toothless was distracted by the sounds of loud rustling as Geraldine unfolded a very large tourist map, in the course of which she succeeded in knocking Toothless’s sunhat off.
“Put that away, do!” said Toothless, in some irritation. “We’re about to pose with this amazing creature—the picture will be of your map if you don’t fold it up pronto!”
Canada Goose With Gosling
Named for John Canada, the ornithologist who separated the species from other geese. Not Canadian Goose, as that would be any of the geese that live in Canada. This is a very large breed with distinct black and white markings. Some people use them as guard geese, they have been used for centuries, for homes and businesses as they are loud, protective and quick to recognize any disturbance in their territory. The goose is better suited for guard duty over humans and dogs.

Geese mate for life. The gosling is able to walk, swim and feed themselves within 24 hours of hatching, and both parents will rigorously defend the goslings until they can fly, at around 10 weeks. Unlike many birds, the fledgling goose will stay with the family for a year.
Geese migrate in the autumn and spring, and with favourable winds, they are capable of flying 1,500 (2,414 kilometres) miles in 24 hours with a ceiling of 3,000 feet, (1km) for migration, and a recorded height of 29,000 feet. (9km).

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@ Baby Tiger At Water Edge
Geraldine has now met enough "Cute" pets to last a lifetime. As she exits the experience, she receives a wonderful gift!
Over the Hill
The field which lies beyond this hill is a hotspot for pets to frolic. Yet the hill itself is ideal for picnics and photo shoots, if you can get there early enough to grab a spot before it gets crowded.

Baby Tiger At Water Edge
A baby tiger, when born, weighs between 1.75 and 3.5 pounds, imagine a pound of butter. Their eyes are closed and won’t open until they are around 6-12 days old, and they won’t gain full vision for a couple of weeks, so they must rely on their sense of smell, which in a tiger is not that strong, sight and sound are the senses that are used most for gaining information from their environment.
At four months old, the young tiger will be the size of a medium dog and spends most of its time playing, pouncing, and developing wrestling skills with its siblings. The young tiger won’t become independent of its mother until 17 to 24 months—and will continue to grow until fully mature at 3-4 for female tigers and 4-5 for males.
Tigers love to swim and are strong swimmers, often spending hours swimming in water to cool off from the heat of the day. An interesting fact, tiger urine smells like popcorn and those wonderful stripes on the tiger's fur—that help it hide in tall grass—are also on the skin, the same as housecats, and just like the human fingerprint, the stipes are all unique to the individual tiger.
Geraldine has enjoyed meeting "Cute" pets, but it is time to go home now! Please select another pet as visitor, so it can also meet pets of every shape and size!