Did you know that June is National great outdoors month? There are many ways to celebrate, take a hike at your local state park, go canoeing, or explore nature close to home by camping out in your backyard. It is important to be safe while spending time outdoors. In Florida, while hiking or canoeing, you may encounter alligators or snakes. Here are a few tips on what you should or should not do if you encounter one of these reptiles while enjoying the great outdoors:

Alligators do not need your table scraps this species has been roaming the earth for a very ling time and are fully capable of feeding themselves. It is illegal to feed them and if you are caught you can face jail time and a hefty fine. Once they are fed they are taught to approach humans for food and may attack the next person that isn't carrying a piece of chicken in his/her pocket.

If chased by an alligator run away in a straight line. It is the shortest distance between two points and when against an animal that runs at the same speed as us we need all the help we can get. The bonus is we have much more endurance than Alligators and can out run them by a long shot. Keep in mind they can run up to 10 miles per hour for short distances on land. After running a few yards Lactic acid builds up around their hearts and could cause a heart attack.

Just because you do not see an alligator it doesn't mean they aren't there. In fact 9 out of 10 bodies of water in Florida have alligators in them. They can hold their breath for up to 2 hours and stay completely submerged under water. Do not let your pets or children swim in lakes that may contain gators especially near vegetation where they could be hiding. Never leave children or pets unattended near lakes or ponds. Lastly, never attempt to move or relocate a gator, always call authorities if you feel an alligator is a threat to humans or other animals.

Did you know that out of 44 species of Florida snakes only six are venomous? Snakes would rather avoid encounter and will usually flee when approached by humans. Most will not bite unless they feel threatened. Usually snakes are seen close to houses or buildings due to the presence of rats and mice, which they feed on. Many common variety snakes like Garter snakes and Black Racers are beneficial to your garden because they eat the bugs that are harmful to your plants. Venomous or not snakes should be left alone. Humane traps are available if you are worried about snakes too near your home.


photo credit: cuatrok77 via photopin cc
photo credit: TomSpinker via photopin cc

Hurricane season is upon us once again. Most Floridians have an emergency plan and disaster kit in case a storm hits. They keep water, canned food, flashlights, batteries and extra medication on hand, just in case. But does your plan include the safety of your animals? Don't be unprepared when a storm threatens. During Hurricane season it is a good idea, to have on hand, at least a seven day supply of pet food, extra medications, a leash/harness or carrier, a thunder shirt for the nervous pet and tags/ID and vet records in a waterproof container.

What if you have to evacuate? Before the threat of a hurricane is near check with local shelters to see which ones will allow pets. Contact hotels, motels, boarding facilities and vet offices outside your area and make reservations if you are in danger of being evacuated. Keep a list handy with these numbers. It will be easier to cancel than find a place at the last minute. Ask friends and family outside the evacuation area if they would provide shelter for you and your animals. Remember if it is not safe for you to stay in your home then it is definitely not safe for your pets either.

The following items will need to be brought with you if you are evacuated. 

• food bowls, food and water for 7 days
• comfort items like a favorite toy or one of your tshirts
• Copies of medical records and tags 
• First Aid kit
• Kitty litter and box
• Pictures in case you are separated from your pet

Obviously farm animals like horses and cows would not be allowed in a shelter, what do you do for them? The safest place for these larger animals would be in an open field. Keeping them locked in a barn or other structure is not a good idea. Now is a good time to take a look at your fencing and gates to make sure they are secure. Make sure all of the feed or water containers are filled with water. This will help keep them from blowing around while also supplying a water source for your animals. Remove anything in the field that can become a projectile. You should also prepare a kit for your horses like the one for your other pets including vet papers, coggins, emergency contact numbers and photos of you and your pet. The Humane Society offers this tip: Write your horse's name, your name and phone number on his halter. If you are lucky enough to have a boarding facility or friend who can house your horse be sure to bring enough feed/hay for a week. Make sure your trailer tags are up to date too. The Sunshine State Horse Council offers a data base for emergency horse evacuation due to hurricane or fire in Florida: http://www.sshc.org/evac/dbinfo.htm

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Animal Enrichment Program at Majical Miniatures

Ever see a pig wallowing in a mud pit or a goat climbing on a pile of rocks? Animals need to run and jump, climb, play, hunt, explore and do what comes naturally for them. Providing enrichment for animals is as important as providing proper nutrition and veterinary care. Enrichment not only provides exercise but also mental stimulation. Many zoos and wild life sanctuaries around the country use some sort of enrichment with their animals. Majical Miniatures is no different, animal enrichment is a big part of our animal care program. There are many forms of enrichment that can be used with many species of animals. Over the next few months we will be exploring some of the methods we use at Majical Miniatures and sharing them with you.

Goat Climbing Enrichment:

Play Time

Goats are extremely intelligent animals that require many types of enrichment. We enjoy introducing our goats to new enrichment on a regular basis. Every yard they rotate through has climbing structures to encourage them to do what would come natural to them as most species of goats are mountain dwellers and love the opportunity to climb. This method of enrichment encourages exercise that is very important to our little guys.

Thanks to one of our volunteers for donating the spools pictured above.
They work perfectly for our goat enrichment.

Food Related Enrichment:

Shannon creating the Giraffe

Jenna, our operations manager, and her niece, Shannon, made a Cardboard Giraffe for the Kinkajous using recycled paper bags, cardboard boxes and tubes. It was part of their enrichment this week. Fig newtons were hidden in the boxes. The kinks had to find ways to open the boxes to access the yummy treats. As you can see from the pictures below they had a wonderful time.

Supplies included recycled paper and cardboard

How cute is this!

Shannon 

Victory at last!

New Additions...

Questions you should ask before adopting a pet...

Spanky and Fancy

Three new additions to the Majical Miniatures family arrived here this month. They each came from wonderful homes where they were loved and very well cared for. Sometimes, there are circumstances and changes beyond our control, illness, losing a home and many more reasons make it impossible for a person to care for their beloved pet. When this happens it is heartbreaking but, out of love for the animal the animal is given up. No matter how much they do not want to let go they know it is in the best interest of their pet to find her a place where she will receive the same love, attention and care that she was accustomed to and deserves. This was the case for Sonsi the Sulcata Tortoise and Sparky and Fancy a pair of very loveable goats who now call Majical Miniatures home.

Sonsi

Of course, there are also some reasons, with research, you may be able to avoid.  For instance your home owners insurance may not cover liability of an exotic pet or, you find out that the adorable Kinkajou or Hedgehog in the pet store you couldn't resist is a nocturnal animal who wants to play all night. This is why it is so important to do your research before adopting a pet of any kind. Make sure you find out as much as possible about the animal. You may be wondering what questions you should ask about your future furred, feathered or shelled family member.
Here are a few to get you started:

• What are her eating and sleeping habits
• Is she a pack animal or does she prefer to be alone 
• Will your insurance allow her on your property
• Do you have the time needed to care for and love him
• Do you have the space, cage, supplies needed to care for her 
• Can you afford the food and vet expenses 
• Do you have children and will this pet be suitable for a child 

Asking these basic questions will help you avoid giving up a pet you have grown to love and may save you and your pet heartache later on.

The Magic of Chickens

As I walk up the drive basking in the peace and enjoyment of watching the animals grazing quietly, I cannot help but smile as the first one notices me and begins to run my way, and then a second, and soon, the whole mismatched herd of donkey, goats, sheep, zebu and llama is voicing eagerness for the treat they are sure I will have.  My smile turns to a laugh, and as I stand there touching this one and that one, and handing out a flower here and a bit of vegetable there, all of a sudden a hen notices the activity "over there" and makes a sound that only chickens understand completely, and then here comes a whole wonderful bunch of hens and a rooster or two (whose job it is to keep those many hens safe) to see what they are missing! Of course they miss nothing because I share greens and yellows and reds (vegetables) with them too.

We offer veggies as treats and sharing time, in addition to their staple diet for these chickens have a serious job to do here on our farm. They are loved and enjoyed immensely on a personal level, but their job is to keep the ground turned and the bugs and parasites at a tolerable level.  These chickens work for their keep though they do not mind a bit because what they do here is what chickens DO naturally.  Mining for gold in the ground is what makes them healthy, keeps the soil and ground healthier, fertilizes for us, makes them happy, as evidenced by their 'chatter cluck' conversations as they work.

Some are friendly with us and enjoy hands on a bit, some are more wild and could care less that we exist beyond feeding and keeping them as safe as is possible for free range chickens.  Most go into one of the many coops spread over the acres. A few choose to tree themselves.  Each group knows where they live and pretty much stay on those areas throughout the day.  Each hen and those few roosters knows her or his own coop, and by dark when someone goes from pasture to pasture or yard to yard to close coop doors, they have gone to roost, safe until morning when it is all reversed and the doors open to the new morning. Feed is tossed on the ground and when they are done with that they begin another day of grounds keeping.

Is there anything better than a beautiful flock of various sorts of feathers and colors that at once, gives pleasure and delight to watching humans, and pays their way (and then some) by keeping the farm healthier doing what they do best.... and love doing???

It is the season of broody hens and hatching chicks, all adorable and well tended by mamas, and while we spend hours with them wandering all around us and tend to take the sharing of our lives with them for granted, we need to remember to thank them for their presence on the farm and for all the work they do.  Watching the chicks grow and seeing their moms teach them what chickens DO is another piece of the magic that is a part of each day at Majical Miniatures.

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Helpful Wildlife Tips...what you should or shouldn't do when you find an abandoned wild animal