Category: Other Exotics

Bittersweet Goodbyes

On By Wildlife Education by BernieIn C. Lynx, Exhibitions, General News, Other Exotics, Parrot1 Comment

11/11/25…I have been trying to get this post written for over a month!

Well summer is gone. Although I was not a fan of the heat and lack of rain, I’m kind of sorry it’s over. I miss the late light in the evening in order to get outdoor projects done. Though, with the lack of rain for a month, I didn’t need to mow quite so often.

We were fairly busy with seven programs and two exhibitions at festivals. I have presented more in the past but I’m getting a bit worn. Max did wonderful and was very calm at all his presentations. Though a prescription helps take the tension off. I’m thinking of reducing it a so that he’s more alert. I don’t want him freaking out but would prefer a little more interaction from him. The majority of the programs were in July and I had to do programs for work, as well. So, it was crazy!

Max relaxing at the Eco-Arts Festival
Our exhibition at the Eco-Arts Festival

I had one program in August along with the Eco-Arts Festival that Max & I attend.

Then I scheduled finger surgery on the 7th with a month recovery. I had severe arthritis in my left ring finger which was not only painful but it deformed my finger making it crooked. So, that finger along with the pinky was not functional. I had been getting steroid injections for nearly three years and recently they stopped working. The next step was bone fusion. I was scared but am very happy that I had it done. Here it is three months later and I have a usable left hand. Yes, the finger is permanently bent and the only problems I’ve had is I forget to judge distance when reaching into tight spots. (Photo taken before & after 10/5, though it’s even thinner now)

Frannie’s final moments with me. She was barely breathing and was ready to cross the bridge
Frannie playing on the porch
Frankie and Frannie July 2024

September was a difficult month. My post-op appointment went well and my finger was healing nicely. On the 13th life changed. I was cleaning Frannie Ferret’s cage and noticed some blood in her urine and a small amount in one stool. So, I removed all the pads and while doing so, I put her in the carrier. She drove me nuts by digging at the cage door like a crazy weasel. She certainly didn’t act sick! The next morning, her stool looked fine but noticed she wasn’t interested in treats or food and she kept passing blood in her urine. That evening she was very lethargic, just lying in my arms. So, we snuggled. Monday, she wasn’t any better. My vet had no openings, not even for an emergency and thankfully, I had an appointment for Burt and Poppy at a different vet office. They allowed me to swap for Frannie. I got to hold her at the beginning but she started having difficulty breathing and became very still. They took her in the back for oxygen and while there, they discovered a mass in her abdomen. At least I got to say goodbye before they took her away because they gave her the shot while in the back and I wasn’t there for her last breath. They placed her in a box, wrapped nicely. Every veterinary practice is different when it comes to euthanasia. Not being able to hold your baby while they leave this earth is ever so difficult. However, after her breathing episode, she had a blank look on her face and I believed she was already fading fast. I was there when it counted. When I got home, I unpacked the girl, held her and buried her next to Frankie in the front garden. Looking back to December 2024 we had a mass removed from behind her leg. I’m sure it was cancerous but I really didn’t want to know. She lived life adventurous and fun. She gave lots of kids kisses this summer and made them happy. Now, she is with her beloved brother Frankie.

Several days later Max is throwing up his food and stops eating for two days. A new worry for me! We had a program scheduled for Saturday (20th) afternoon and I wasn’t sure if we would make it. I zipped on over to the vets that morning and picked up an enema and meds for him. He did pass a stool but I felt better knowing I would be ready in case there would be any problems afterwards. I gave him the nausea med to help with his upset stomach.

Our exhibition at the NYPA Wildlife Festival
All about the Mustelidae family with Max and Burt

The following weekend we had a wildlife festival which is a long day for us but it’s important to bring awareness to the public. There were many excellent wildlife organizations.

So, September was very busy and I still had projects to begin and some to complete since I was out of commission with my finger for a month. I also started physical therapy on my hip which leaves me with December 1st as my last appointment. It has been so helpful!

The first Saturday in October, Burt Parrot and I picked up 150 pounds of meat for Max. So, he is set for red meat for a few months. It’s a 5-hour round trip and another 3 hours cutting it all up into smaller containers for his freezer. This was our last Saturday event and since then I’ve been busy catching up on projects.

Fall came and went. It’s my favorite time of year with crisp air and beautiful changing trees. Okay, it’s still fall but the weather has changed to wintery. Max has been putting on the fur in anticipation for winter. He’s well and so is everyone else. We had our first snow today (11/10) and I’m sure he’s happy but I would have preferred it waited until December. I gave him some straw and just finished adding mulch to his enclosure the other day.

August 13
August 13
August 18
August 18
Max’s new enrichment – September 1
September 1
October 19
November 11 enjoying fresh straw

Goodbye 2024

On By Wildlife Education by BernieIn C. Lynx, General News, Other Exotics1 Comment

12/31/24 – You will not believe me, but I started a post on October 7 and never finished it because it has been crazy around here. I thought things were slowing down and I found some time to write but life happens and I never got back to it. So, here’s what I started writing…

10/7/24 – Finally, life is beginning to slow down some for us. I know it’s been since May when you last heard any news about us here on the website. There is a Home Repair video posted 6/16 and a “Summer’s End” video posted 9/7 on our YouTube channel.

In May, I had to say goodbye to Smokey. He would have been 18 in July. Smokes had multiple old age issues but was still getting around. However, his quality of life was fading and I made an appointment to say goodbye on 5/31 but the universe had different plans. He seemed a bit out of it over the holiday weekend, rallied and then became very wobbly by the 28th. I had to crate him to keep him safe. Theo crawled in beside him to comfort him. I called the vets early on the 29th and was able to bring him in. The old boy went fast without complaint or hesitation and my heart broke into pieces. He’s now with mom. The last of her cats to pass. It was like losing her all over again and I hurt terribly.

Pearl had a vet visit in May for her left eye and it was on the road to recovery. Now, here it is October and her right eye is winking at me. So, she has an appointment on the 9th. I’m hoping it’s not a lesion but if so, we now know what it takes to heal it.

In June I began the time-consuming task of rust treatment and painting of Max’s enclosure panels. A few of his broken plexiglass panels could be re-used but I was able to purchase several new panels along with extra paint due to the generosity of Christine and Evan Johnson.

June was also a busy month with car repairs, doctor appointments and animal care. I laid grass seed in Max’s enclosure where he paces watching the wildlife and kept my fingers crossed.

The heat of early July nearly killed us! Max was looking pretty sorry on the 4th and I made the decision to purchase a portable floor air conditioner on the 5th! Though I couldn’t keep it on the floor because the exhaust tubing was not long enough, so I set it up on the workshop bench which worked out well. I pointed it away from his indoor enclosure and had a floor fan at the other end to blow the cool air back. It took me several tries to get him to come inside to cool down. He only wanted to do so when I was in there. So, I tidied up the area while he played with toys on the floor. I ran it for a few weeks until we began getting cooler nights to where I could shut it off and then turn it on for the day time.

I had seven programs in July with Max presenting at one of them. Of course, it was one of the longest drives we had but he was a good boy. A family donated their hedgehog to me. Charlie doesn’t mind running around the yard but doesn’t want to be held or bothered. I basically leave her alone.

On September 1st a family visited for a special educational introduction to all the animals. Max was not impressed but he rarely is with visitors. Later they mailed a very generous donation to help out.

Now, to finish where I left off… Videos since October – Pumpkin Bust , Purrfect Morning, Thanksgiving 2024, Merry Christmas Eve, Christmas Toy Destroy and Goodbye 2024.

Pearl has been to the vets every two weeks since October. They keep treating her eye and it’s not healing. I refuse to visit the ophthalmologist when they checked this eye back when she was having trouble with the left one. There were no underlying problems. Both eyes were healthy. For some reason, this eye is being stubborn to heal. It could be due to Ruby Chin. They do rustle at times. Perhaps she’s beating up on Pearl. The next step is possibly another treatment (Jan 3rd vet visit) and maybe separating them. Or we skip treatment and Pearl learns to deal with it. There’s much to decide on.

Frankie Ferret’s health began going downhill. He lost pretty much of his fur and he was on steriods to keep him from itching. He had swollen lymph nodes, and became incontinent. I knew the time was drawing near when I would need to put him to sleep. Although he was eating and drinking water, I noticed he was frantic about using the bathroom and began whimpering while sleeping, peeing and sometimes while I held him. I made the tough decision to let him go on the day after Thanksgiving. My best friend Deb went with me. I wanted him to leave in a peaceful manner and not in an emergency situation like with Smokey. Frankie lies in rest in my front garden. A week or so later, Frannie Ferret went in to have a tumor removed from behind her front left leg. I wasn’t interested in having the mass tested for cancer as it really doesn’t matter. I’ll love her until the end. She is beginning to lose more fur and itching a bit more than normal. That’s the problem with ferrets. It’s important for them to be spayed/neutered but then it takes away their hormones and they get adrenal gland disease. So, it’s a no win situation all around which is why five years is average for these little guys. Frankie was 8 and Frannie is 7. I most likely won’t use her for educational programs next summer as I’m sure she’ll be hairless by then.

On Christmas eve I noticed Igor Dove with a bloody beak. He was sitting down on the bottom of his cage. I believe Burt Parrot got him through the bars. I don’t think it was aggressive. Igor will hoo and peck whoever is at the bars, and I think Burt got lucky and pinched his beak. My heart died. He hatched here on 11/11/2009 and he’s a fighter. Within a week of being born, his beak became scissored and bent. I did gentle pressuring over several months which helped it become almost normal. Being a holiday, you can imagine how many bird vets were available. That’s right, none. The day after Christmas, I contacted a rehabilitator and she set me up with another one who showed me how to tube feed him and gave knowledge of how much pain meds to administer. Luckily, Poppy Bunny is on them. We saw a vet on Friday 12/27 and I ordered medication and special diet. I have yet to receive the diet. They should have had some in stock at the vets office but I was lucky to have even been seen. Igor is trying to eat seeds but not enough to maintain his weight. So, I’m fighting with him over the tube-feeding. Lucky me. Prayers please that he will fully recover. I now watch Burt Parrot like a hawk when she is roaming while I’m cleaning her cage.

Programs… we finished the year with 19 programs. Three of them being festivals. A busy year for us! Max participated in eight of them. Thankfully, not all. He’s a lot to lug around.

In closing, I’d like to thank Stephen Meier and Patricia Seppey for their support towards special meat & expenses, Christine and Evan Johnson for panels & supplies, Donna Ryan for Max’s raised dog bed and the Patterson family for their generous donation. I wouldn’t have made it through the year without my best friend, Debra Myers. She keeps me mostly sane. Then there’s my sisters. I can’t do without them and lastly my Facebook family & friends who listen and send me positive juju. Here’s hoping 2025 will be a better year for us all! Much love, Bernie

Smokey as a kitten 2006
Igor 16 days old 2009
Handsome Igor after rehabilitating his beak. No photos of the current damage. Too awful.
June
July
Heat of Summer. Poor baby. July
Miss Charlie in late July
August
September
October
Thanksgiving – new bed
Goodbye to Frankie Ferret 11/29/24
December
Pearl Chinchilla’s eye not healing
Happy New Year!

Pearl Chin

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4/25/24 – Pearl went to the Ophthalmologist yesterday for her left eye and good news, it’s healing! I now have to put eye drops in it three times a day along with ointment. Needless to say, she will not be getting any dust baths until it heals in about three weeks. I will continue giving her pain meds also.

AND the cats have not marked any of their areas in 2 days!! 🥳

Pearl eye issue 4-24-24

New Beastie!

On By Wildlife Education by BernieIn Other Exotics1 Comment

I don’t know about you but my life gets busy during the summer when I work full time as a museum educator/curator and part-time wildlife educator and then I get to come home to lawn mowing and it’s not a small yard in the suburbs. It’s 1.5 acres. There’s weed-whacking, gardening upkeep and house chores. Let’s not forget the 14 animals I need to love, feed, and clean caging (for some). There are projects, lots of projects. Well, all that didn’t stop me from acquiring a new little ambassador named Porkchop from Baker Street Hedgehogs (Instagram Baker_street_hedgehogs) last week on July 10. Porkchop was born April 2 and weighed 13.4 ounces when I received her! The little girl is only 14 weeks old and a little porker. She’s a sweet but shy hedgie. At times, she’ll peek her nose out of the spiny little ball and give me a look and then sometimes, not. I’m trying to litter train her. Haha, that’s not going to happen. She went the bathroom in her snuggle sack and so I’ve removed it to give her a little hut with a piece of soft material in it for her to crawl under. I tried a heating pad which Smudge and Velvet liked but none of my hedgies over the past 20 years needed one. She didn’t want it. Go figure. Perhaps in the winter when the house is 68 degrees, she might like a little warmth under her. I do know she loves her wheel. She runs all night and poops & pees in it. By the way, every hedgehog I’ve ever had has done this. They are primitive little creatures that haven’t changed much in 15 million years. I’m always amazed when people have trained them to use the bathroom in one spot. Baker Street Hedgehog says hers are trained. I’ve never been that lucky. Porkchop went to work with me on the 11th and snapped the cutest little photo. I brought her outside yesterday but the weather has been so awful. It was sunny but steamy with humidity that kept fogging up my lenses. She was a spiny little ball but on occasion would stick her nose out. She was easier to see when I put her on the walkway but then she started darting towards under the porch. Oh no! Watch Porkchop the video. Here are some photos.

Porkchop Hedgehog

7/17/23 – I forgot to add her baby photos courtesy of Baker Street Hedgehogs. As you can see from the photo of three, she was the biggest of the babies. I love her name… it fits! LOL

Porkchop at 8 weeks old
Growing…
Growing…
Baby Porkchop on the left

Goodbye August

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9-8-22 – I’m not sure where August went. First it was my sister’s birthday, then a program on the 10th with Max, Smudge Hedgehog and Burt Parrot. The program went well but everything went downhill from there. Smudge started leaving her fruit untouched but would still come out for mealworms but that stopped on the 13th. I got her into the vets on the 15th because I had scheduled the chinchillas for an initial exam. So, I was able to bring her instead of them. Thank goodness I did or perhaps she would not have had a good last week. Seemed she caught a cold. I don’t believe from anyone because she was held with gloves and people only touched her spikes. I could have missed her slight behavioral changes before the 13th but she was always greeting me, so maybe not. She could have caught a chill when I started leaving the windows open at night for the fresh, cool air. It had been wicked hot for weeks and when we finally got a cool front, I was delighted. I took her outside on the 14th for sunshine and took photos. She seemed slow, wobbly but interested. Anyways, she first sneezed at the vets. Okay, we can give her fluids and antibiotics. She was a trouper. However, the vet noticed her heart was beating irregularly and surmised that she had heart disease and was missing teeth too. How could that be? She was only maybe 2.5 years old. I got Smudge in January of 2021 and was told she was “about a year old.” Hum, evidently that was wrong. Smudge’s cold got better but her heart seemed to be overworking. I thought she was taking a turn for the better when I caught her drinking water on the 19th. I guess not. On the 20th in the evening when I tried to medicate her, she refused. So, I held her and was talking to her asking why she didn’t want to take her medicine. She looked at me and took a breath. It was her last. I just stood there looking dumbfounded and kept calling her name. My head could not wrap around the fact that she was gone. Being the curious person that I am, I looked at her teeth and yes, many were missing or worn down. Smudge was an old hedgehog. Had I known she had heart disease from the beginning, perhaps, I would have prevented educating with her due to the stress and always have a warm pad for her to help with circulating. But darn if she didn’t move off that pad when I put it in that week. So, what the heck? Little prey animals mask their illnesses so not to look weak. I created a video of all my beloved animal ambassadors over the years and posted it on YouTube – Loved and Lost. It was sad and wonderful remembering all my little pals.

I got to meet a 1st cousin on the 22nd for the first time. However, she gave me Covid, and I came down with it on the 24th. I had to find coverage for me at the museum and had little interaction with the animals including Max. I was fearful one of them would get sick from me. I handled the cold part of it but the fatigue and muscle weakness wreaked havoc. However, since I had animals to care for, there was no lying around feeling sorry for myself. I continued to do my animal care as best as I could and took multiple breaks. I did catch up on my sleep which was a good thing! I lost my taste and smell 4 days into it, but it slowly came back a week later. As of this writing, I’m still coughing and have sinus issues but am negative. Heck, I was having those issues before Covid.

Let’s see. While I was out mowing the lawn on the 27th, I noticed my car in the garage leaking. Called for a tow that Monday and it went to the shop without me. Seems my power steering sprung a leak. It was probably a mouse! I hadn’t driven it since the 10th. I’ve been using mom’s car since it has less mileage. Well, that got fixed and I picked it up once I was out of quarantine.

On the 30th, we had a major rainstorm, and my house was hit by lightning. I don’t think it was a spike but more of an electrical flash. It sent the cable out which also works the phone line and three of my outlets went dead. Lucky, I flipped the breaker, and that took care of the dead outlets. It was a couple days for Spectrum to get to me to replace the fried DVR and Wifi router. My new phone/answering machine arrived on Friday but what I didn’t know was that the lightening killed the old phone, not just the power cord. I was listening to a message yesterday and it was all static. So, I’m thankful I didn’t send the new phone back when I purchased a new power cord. Though I now have an extra power cord! It also fried the power cord to LED lights in the kitchen. I know it could have been worse and for that I’m truly grateful. Imagine the cost of replacing Max’s meat freezers? Phew.

At times like this, I tend to forget that there have been good times, too.

I look back at some of my messages & photos to my sisters and friends. The 19th was a beautiful day when I sat on a bench at the nature preserve where I work and watched the bees pollinate. I watched a butterfly make it’s rounds to the plants and then stop for a drink of water in the bird bath. I remember thinking how lovely and wonderful nature is.

The morning of the 20th, I gave Lil Bun new flooring. Yep, I don’t get new flooring, but the rabbits do! This will make it much easier to clean up after them. I still need to do Poppy’s flooring which I will get to this weekend. It’s a bit time consuming with the cleaning the wood, cutting, and placing the vinyl squares and kneeling! I love the results. It will help preserve the wood base too. What you don’t know is this is my 2nd upgrade on their living quarters. Lil Bun would run and scatter poo, hay and litter outside his bars. So, I created a baseboard around the cage to keep in the mess. Poppy is not as messy. Lil Bun is a joy. Sometimes in the evening he runs circles in his cage. I usually put him on the porch to help him with his energy. I would put Poppy as well but he was neutered at the beginning of August and will still try to hump her. No, I’ll wait another month before I combine their cages into a larger one. Though I might have to get rid of the couch and rocker!

Max…last photos I took of him were on August 1st. On the 21st, I got a photo of him carrying around his purple puff ball like a baby and mewing. He then tried to hump it. OMG, that cat is so funny!

Good news, Ruby will sit on my shoulders and be okay if I don’t touch her much! Progress! The photo is from August 31st.

See, not all of August was a bust!

Smudge 8/14
Smudge 8/14
Bees pollinating
Eastern Comma underside
LiL Bun’s mess
Eastern Comma
Baseboards added
Lil Bun
Lil Bun
Flooring prep
New vinyl flooring for Lil Bun
Happy Lil Bun
Max 8/1
Max 8/1
Max sleepy 8/1
Max & his puffbaby 8/21
Ruby on my shoulders 8/31

New Chins

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8-18-22 – I have been so busy that I haven’t had time to post that I got two new chinchillas to be ambassadors for my program. I was told they were friendly. Haha. Where do I start? I drove 3 hours one way to pick them up from a guy who had more than the two. When I first contacted him, Coco had just passed away. He didn’t tell me how many he had but said there were male and females with ages from 4 months to 3 years old. The colors were beige, regular grey and black. I decided to wait to give myself time to grieve and decide which Saturday I would have time to pick one up. I did a lot of thinking and contacted others that had a chinchilla to rehome. One did not like to be held. I was told that the species didn’t like it. Ha! I had two chinchillas ever and both loved to be held. I decided that perhaps I should get two chins to keep each other company. When I was ready I contacted the gentleman again and he had two left and both were bonded. He said they were siblings. As for age, one was almost a year and the other about 1.5 years old. They were siblings? Both are standard grey. On July 9, he loaded them into my carrier and when I got down the road to a pitstop, I pulled the little one out. She was very squirmy and her fur was greasy which meant that she had not dust-bathed. I named them Ruby and Pearl as suggested by my good friend Christine. Ruby is the baby who had mats in her fur on her backside. Pearl’s fur was greasy but no mats. Ruby doesn’t know how to dust bathe but Pearl jumps right in. Both DO NOT like to be held and Ruby is a nipper. Yes, she bites. Pearl will lunge at me and try to bite me when I reach in. It takes a lot of logistics to fetch them. I’m thinking dropping a towel over and scooping them up will be the easiest. Sometimes Ruby will constantly squirm and nip when I hold her. Pearl is a little better about being held. Both will happily take a cranraisin (dried cranberry) from my fingers. I try to hold them daily and talk to them every time I walk by their cage. Neither are litter-trained and will pee on the shelves. Ugh! I decided that they needed a new cage. The one was 10 years old and the shelving had been chewed on by many. The new one was a little pricey but is perfect for them. I have seen them using the bottom tray as a litter pan on occasion. I mean, chins will poop everywhere and that’s fine. Their urine is strong and it needs to always be in the bottom tray and not on the shelving. Sooner or later, hopefully we’ll get there. Right after getting them home I took a comb to Ruby’s mat. Underneath the mats were sores. As of now, the fur has been growing back nicely. She also had a sore behind one ear which has healed too. Because Ruby doesn’t know how to roll in a dust house, I got a sugar shaker and will shake the dust over her and fluff her fur. This will keep her soft, fluffy and greaseless. Sometimes afterwards she will roll on the shelf to get the dust off. That’s how she should roll to get the dust on! Anyways, these two are challenging.

Ruby Chinchilla
Pearl Chinchilla
Their new condo

New Ambassador

On By Wildlife Education by BernieIn General News, Other Exotics1 Comment

Hello everyone! I have a new animal ambassador. I’ve been trying to figure out a name for him and so far, Thumper “Thump” and Rascal fits, but Lil Bun is close. He’s a Holland Lop with a quirky left ear. Yes, a domestic bunny but we can discuss his wild cousins like the Snowshoe Hare with a pelt for touching or the Cottontail. Anyways, he’s likes to be held and who doesn’t like to snuggle a bunny? I know that it’s a 10 year commitment and I’m not getting any younger. I guess this will be my last baby ambassador. I am booking programs for summer now.

Rascal Thumper

Wildlife Festival

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12-25-15 3356 cover copy (1)If you live in New York state or any of the neighboring states, Max and I will be at this Wildlife Festival on Saturday, September 18 from 10-4. Burt Parrot and Smudge Hedgehog will be with us. There will be lots of North American animal artifacts for touching and learning. Come one, come all. Here’s the link to their Facebook event – Blenheim-Gilboa Wildlife Festival

2021 News

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Let’s see….

Velvet Hedgehog became sick late October. She had an infection in her mouth and a couple teeth were effected. We took care of the infection and it wasn’t clear if she might have cancer. The lump reappeared or maybe never left and we started treatment again and then switched to another antibiotic. However, it looked like the lump increased in size the other week and I switched back to the original antibiotic. She’s drooling and has lost weight. It looks like an abscess but then again, not. She’s eating, active and still spunky. She is also on pain and inflammation meds. So, for now, it’s a wait and see situation.

Max Lynx now has his own website. It’s all about him. I will be removing all the posts on him from my archives website transferring them over to his new site. Most of the posts here are about him too. I’ll keep the posts on all the other animals but I’m trying to consolidate and eliminate one site. If I had known how to decrease the file size of a photo years ago, I wouldn’t have needed the second site. On Max’s site, all photos are watermarked and reduced in size so I have plenty of room for years to come. I’m also taking ideas on a photo book title. It’s going to be a difficult decision as there are so many awesome suggestions. Once I get his website up to speed, I can begin working on the book. I hope to have it launched for ordering by May 4th, his 10th birthday.