Paws and Claws Animal Encounters

Paws and Claws Animal Encounters Enriching animal encounters at the Gateway to Hocking Hills since 2015. Encounters on our farm have begun! Check out https://www.pandcencounters.com to book.
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Proud to offer swimming with otters, painting with otters, fox, sloth, and capybara encounters, as well as full tours at one of the most unique farms around.

Two weeks ago we welcomed Xena, a female tamandua (aka lesser anteater). Tamanduas can be vocal, and let me tell you, Xe...
02/25/2026

Two weeks ago we welcomed Xena, a female tamandua (aka lesser anteater). Tamanduas can be vocal, and let me tell you, Xena is just that. While they don’t make noises like dogs (or very loud otters), they can hiss, snort, chirp, and can even do a low scream when annoyed. Xena knows what she wants when she wants and we are working on learning her individual wants and needs.
Xena will be introduced, and hopefully paired with our other tamandua, Xander in the near future. It will be interesting to see these two different personalities come together. For now, she is settling in and we are working on building a great relationship with her.

02/25/2026

Did you know kinkajous are classified as carnivores but surprisingly don’t eat meat that often? They prefer fruit and nectar and eat small animals and insects as a supplemental protein. Their teeth are actually adapted for soft fruit, not tearing flesh.

Good morning from these little nuggets.
02/25/2026

Good morning from these little nuggets.

One of my favorite snoots to boop. Did you know Bison noses serve many important functions? Of course there is the sense...
02/24/2026

One of my favorite snoots to boop. Did you know Bison noses serve many important functions?

Of course there is the sense of smell to detect predators and other bison, but they are also specialized to help them survive harsh climates. When they inhale very cold air, the blood vessels in their nasal passages warm it before it reaches the lungs, and when they exhale, the nose re-captures heat and moisture, preventing dehydration.

Their noses also serve as snow shovels as they swing their heads and blow out air to uncover food buried by snow. Their nostrils can also close slightly to keep snow from being inhaled.

Their noses are tough- thick and leathery. This helps protect them from frostbite, thorny vegetation, and fighting injuries.

A little enrichment for the raccoons. Aspen bedding in a box hiding some of the favorite treats and toys. This is a quic...
02/24/2026

A little enrichment for the raccoons. Aspen bedding in a box hiding some of the favorite treats and toys. This is a quick foraging exercise we do that makes them look for food, use their sense of touch, and of course they can play with the bedding and box all they want.

02/23/2026

Happy Marsupial Monday.

Did you know wallabies are born completely underdeveloped with their eyes sealed shut, ears folded, and no fur? They weigh less than 1 gram and are about the size of a Lima bean or jellybean.
After birth, the joey must climb up and into mom’s pouch all on their own. They are born with incredibly muscular arms for that journey and they rely on their sense of smell to make it into mom’s pouch.

Tundra and Tanana ❄️🦊 Winter is back and the Arctic fox are loving it.
02/23/2026

Tundra and Tanana ❄️🦊 Winter is back and the Arctic fox are loving it.

Esmeralda, one of my favorite horses here ❤️ If you meet her, the first thing everyone notices is her humpback. We reall...
02/23/2026

Esmeralda, one of my favorite horses here ❤️ If you meet her, the first thing everyone notices is her humpback. We really aren’t sure what happened to cause it, but more than likely an injury she suffered before arriving here. The day she was brought to us is one I won’t forget. We all gasped as she came off the trailer with how thin she and the other arrivals were. Thankfully she has made a full recovery and has been loved from that moment on.

We hope everyone had a great Sunday. Thank you to everyone who has been out this past week. We are now CLOSED until Marc...
02/22/2026

We hope everyone had a great Sunday. Thank you to everyone who has been out this past week.
We are now CLOSED until March 7th. While we never truly have days off, we will be taking some time off from the people part to get some projects done around the zoo, spend some extra time with the animals, and to just take a bit of a mental break (we hope).

Shanti is great at looking sweet and innocent after she spends the whole day terrorizing.
02/21/2026

Shanti is great at looking sweet and innocent after she spends the whole day terrorizing.

Our beautiful boy, Atlas. Have you ever wondered why Foxes have whiskers? Some of the top reasons their whiskers are so ...
02/20/2026

Our beautiful boy, Atlas.

Have you ever wondered why Foxes have whiskers?
Some of the top reasons their whiskers are so important include being able to measure tight spaces. Their whiskers are about as long as their body is wide. They also detect tiny air movements and vibrations, meaning they can move around at night without bumping into things and of course pinpoint prey. They are also used to detect wind direction, so that they can approach prey downwind to ensure their prey doesn’t smell them.

We have three spots for Swimming with Otters that became available for tomorrow 2/21 at 2:00! You can book it right here...
02/20/2026

We have three spots for Swimming with Otters that became available for tomorrow 2/21 at 2:00!

You can book it right here: pandcencounters.com

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Bremen, OH

Telephone

7402434740

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