Spice Up Your New Facebook!

You may have heard the news that soon enough, all Facebook users will have their profiles switched over to the new "timeline" format! This means that each and every one of you will be able to have a COVER photo to highlight the top of your personal Facebook page, along with your regular profile picture.

Want to spice it up and make your Facebook page really ROAR?!

Well, we can help! We are in the process of creating some cover photos, free and just for you!

They're not quite ready yet, but we had a question for you... ANY REQUESTS?! Do you have a favorite animal who you REALLY want to stand out at the top of your page? What about a particular species that you're just a sucker for? Let us know and we might just be able to make a cover photo JUST FOR YOU!

Here are a few of the ones we are working on, but keep an eye out because there are plenty more to come!

Remember, let us know if you have any requests!

Get Ready for Valentine's Day!

Are you ready to show your sweetheart how much you care?!

Here at IEAS, we've got a few PERFECT ways for you to be the best valentine possible to both your loved ones AND the IEAS residents!

Adopt an Animal in your valentine's name! Choosing an animal of their favorite species or a particular cat or bear that they care most about and adopting that animal in their name is amazing way to give your loved one an opportunity to spend time with one of the most incredible animals in the world! As an adoptive parent, he or she could come and visit his or her animal anytime and enjoy true companionship with them. It's an amazing experience that YOU can give!

Looking for something a little smaller, but just as awesome!? Make your sweetheart a Friend of a Feline (FOF) or Buddy of a Bear (BOB)! By purchasing an FOF or BOB packet, you will be giving the gift of a free one on one visit (from outside the habitat) with the animal whose packet you choose. You're loved one will be able to have this incredible, once in a lifetime visit, a certificate, an 8 x 10 photo, and his or her animal's story!

If you call and order by February 10, we will be able to mail your adoption packet or BOB/FOF packet to you by Valentine's Day, so don't delay!

REMEMBER, when you purchase one of these gifts, your payment DIRECTLY benefits the IEAS residents. 100% of profits from these gifts and all purchases from IEAS go to help the animals, so you can be THEIR sweetheart, too!

Call 940-433-5091 to place an order!

For more info about Adopting, click here!

Nutritional Center!

If you've been on a tour at IEAS, you may have heard your guide refer to the Ed Browne Nutritional Center as the "heart of the Sanctuary" or the Sanctuary's "home base." Well, they were right! The Nutritional Center (NC) is a very busy (not to mention IMPORTANT) place. A whole lot of stuff is done here and even more is kept track of here. This building is where IEAS staff and interns start and finish every day and where the diets of both feline and bear residents alike are made.

When you enter the NC, the first thing you can't help but notice is usually the smell - and it's not bad! In fact, it will always smell CLEAN! After the feline diets are prepared in the morning, the NC is very diligently cleaned and sanitized in every necessary way. You won't find messes here!

Once you start checking the place out, you'll notice a few dry erase boards with a TON of information on them. These boards help keep everything very organized. The biggest board is home to our diet preparation information. Depicting medications, special diets, meat poundages for each feline, and much more, this board is constantly changing and having it all right at our fingertips is the best way to ensure that we will be providing the PERFECT diet for each resident, every day.

Another important board, though slightly smaller, is found on the other side of the NC. As you can imagine, there is always PLENTY that needs done in a Sanctuary such as IEAS. Constant maintenance, upkeep, and much more keep staff and interns very busy. How do we keep track of it all? The Daily Assignments board! Each day, we have a list of things that need to get done and each one is written on this board so it is not forgotten! It is the perfect way for us to organize our week!

Other things you'll see in the NC? Lots of pans and refrigerators/freezers! We have lots of stuff to keep cold and animals to feed, so plenty of storage is definitely a necessity!

Come see the Ed Browne Nutritional Center for yourself! As cool as it is, what lives right outside its doors is even more incredible! The importance of this building to the amazing animals at IEAS is definitely worth a stop on your tour!

Hope to see you soon!

Get Your Firewood from IEAS!

Anyone interested in

purchasing some firewood

to benefit the felines and

bears at the International

Exotic Animal Sanctuary!?

We have several cords of cured firewood for sale

and all of the profits will directly go

to the animals who call the Sanctuary home!

Purchase a full cord for $260 or a half cord for $140! You must come t0 the Sanctuary to pick it up, but that will be the perfect time to visit with the friendly, furry faces who your purchase will help!

Call 940-433-5091 if you are interested!

What is a Drive Through?!

Twice a day, IEAS keepers do what is called a "drive through" here at the Sanctuary. A drive through is basically an all encompassing safety and security check. Each and every habitat, gate, lock, pin, and animal is checked to be sure it is in place and secure. Keepers are also looking for anything out of the norm. If a branch has fallen, something was left in a habitat, or something was placed too close to a habitat, this is a chance to find it! One drive through is done at lunch time, and two more are done at the end of the day. That being said, once you have trained your eyes to be checking all of this, it's hard to stop them! Because of that, we are really checking everything every chance we get! Eyes are always on alert for anything that might be wrong!

As stated, this is normally a job for the keepers, but aspiring keepers (i.e. the interns!) are having the chance to hone their observational skills by practicing on drive through! They started their drive throughs with a keeper, riding along and learning how and where to see everything that needs to be seen. They are often reminded that there is a BIG difference between LOOKING at something and SEEING it, so they are currently in the process of training themselves! Now, they partner up and do a drive through together at the end of the day.

Drive through is one of the many important safety procedures that IEAS uses to maintain a secure, comfortable, and SAFE home for the 66 animals that call the Sanctuary home - and for the people who take care of them!

Warm Week Ahead!

It looks like the weather will be cooperating with us!

With sunny highs around 70 for the rest of the week,

we should be able to get a number of projects done!

Warmer temperatures allow us to work with mortar and cement, paint some things, and work with the PVC piping and pumps that keep the animals' pools running! Today and in the next few days, Khera's new waterfall, Duke's new pump, and a new sign for the entrance of IEAS will be getting done. Staff is working hard to teach interns the in's and out's of getting these projects done in ways that will insure their longevity, durability, and effectiveness!

We can't wait to see Khera in her new

waterfall. She has always loved her pool and we are sure that running water will make it that much more fun for her. Duke, being the unique cougar that is his, is one of the few of his species that we have seen who truly enjoys water! He has been in his pool playing with his ball several times, especially when it's warm! Getting his pump up and running again will get him ready for splash time come warmer weather. Lastly, the new sign for the entrance of IEAS will add to the eye catching BIG CAT and BEAR images on the front of our gates. We can't wait for you to see everything!

AND REMEMBER - warmer weather (especially around 70 degrees) is PERFECT weather for a tour! The cats and bear residents of the Sanctuary prefer these temperatures and are very likely to be out and about enjoying the weather as much as you will enjoy seeing them!

Hope to see you soon!

IEAS Interns: Where are they now!?

Have you ever wondered where the IEAS interns go once their internship ends? Well, the fact is, IEAS has had over 200 interns since the Intern Program began and 90% of them have gotten jobs in reputable animal facilities across the country and even a few in international locations!

Locally, IEAS interns have worked at the Fort Worth Zoo, Dallas Zoo, Dallas World Aquarium, Frank Buck Zoo, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, the Texas Zoo and the San Antonio Zoo!

Nationwide, IEAS interns can be found at the St. Louis Zoo, Memphis Zoo, Nashville Zoo, Bronx Zoo, Zoo Montana, Detroit Zoo, Palm Beach Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo, Indianapolis Zoo, Cincinnati Zoo, and MANY more!

Additionally, the Sanctuary has had many interns who took a slightly different route than zoo keeping. Several of the previous Animal Care interns at IEAS are now working at other sanctuaries or for organizations such as California Fish and Game, Saguaro National Park, Covington Equestrian Center, or the Minnesota Conservation Corp.

We could not be more proud to have IEAS represented in all of these places! It is our hope that the interns from IEAS take with them a knowledge base, an understanding of animal care and emotion, and safety conscious mind that will help them succeed in any job!

Reviews of IEAS!

Well, we've been keeping a close eye on all of the reviews written about us here at the International Exotic Animal Sanctuary on GreatNonProfits! We are so ecstatic that you have all had such positive experiences at IEAS. While we are here 100% for the animal residents of the Sanctuary, we consider to be a WONDERFUL bonus to be able to provide our visitors with an exciting, memorable, informative, and potentially life-changing experience.

There are SO many wonderful reviews (over 100 in fact!), but here are just a few of our favorite quotes from YOUR reviews!

"IEAS has given me the opportunity to gain that valuable experience in an environment that has welcomed me with open arms. I'm surrounded by keepers, interns, and staff who have a genuine care for these creatures, who want to change the world for the better, and who love their job come rain or shine. The IEAS facility is beautiful, clean, and full of animals that deserve a second chance at life. I have seen a lioness play soccer with her ball, a tiger chase his tail, and a bear covered in pink and green cake icing to name some of the crazy things I've seen out here. My life is filled with laughter and sunshine when I'm out at this wonderful place, and I want the world to know about it." - Hayley

"This place is the most incredible example for other animal sanctuaries around the country and the world. Everything they do is for the animals' sake, not just the profitable amusement of people. These animals have incredible stories that should be told, and the sanctuary does more than its fair share to spread knowledge of inhumanity towards wild animals. I believe in IEASthat they are in my will!" - gtalbs4

"On my first visit, I was extremely upset at one point by the stories of how the cats came to be atIEFS and how their background contributed to any specific health or emotional issues that they faced. Thank God, there are good people who want to take care of these special animals. It is great to see that the animals will regain their trust in humans due to the attention that they receive. I would recommend a visit to anyone who cares about cats. It is a moving and wonderful experience." - D1231

"WOW, the International Exotic Feline Sanctuary is an amazing place! I could tell upon our visit here that they really do care about the animals. Not only did we see big beautiful Cats and Bears, but we also learned what they eat and how it's prepared. We didn't even realize we were learning. We hope to be coming back for a visit soon!" - StarrKittie

"My husband and I visited the sanctuary a few years ago when they had just received the bears. I cannot tell you what a wonderful experience it was for us. It was almost magical. To be that close to cougars, lions, tigers, leopards and bears was something I will never forget. It helped me realize how many of these exotic animals end up in the wrong hands and need our help to rehabilitate them. I plan on going back soon and bringing our daughter this time. She is now 9 so she can get in! I just know that bringing her will help to continue the cycle of educating the public on these beautiful animals." - Carissa

"IEAS is one of my favorite places in the world. I didn't know quite what to expect when I showed up for my first tour of the sanctuary. As we started roaming past the big cats and learned about their species, I began to feel like I was really meeting the animals. They would talk to us and seemingly strut for us. One, who is very special to me, named Lexus (in the picture I have attached) shared a moment with me where we just looked at each other. It was very moving. " - moriahskies

Thank you ALL for your wonderful support.

Having wonderful people support the animals of IEAS is so incredible!

We couldn't do it without you!

Write your own review by clicking HERE!

Class Time for the Interns!

With the rain keeping us inside, it was time for the Laws and Regulations class for the interns! In this class, the Animal Care interns at IEAS learn some of the basics laws and regulations that are set at city, county, and state levels for exotic animal ownership and care.

These insights into the exotic animal management standards can help interns in their future careers working with these exotic species. Understanding the reasons for such standards makes the proper care and safety of working around these animals a priority. Through this class, interns learn how IEAS has exceeded the standards set for the care of the Sanctuary's resident animals in many ways. For example, it is stated that the minimum habitat size requirement for a tiger is 800 square feet. At IEAS, the smallest habitat we have for a tiger is approximately 3,000 square feet.

This is one of the many classes that IEAS interns have the opportunity to take part in. Other classes include Firearms Safety and Grant/Proposal Writing.

Check out more about our Intern Program HERE!

Round ONE! Christmas Tree Enrichment!

After the Grizzly bears had their fill of Christmas tree branches to use for denning materials, it was time for some of the big cats here at the International Exotic Animal Sanctuary to enjoy some romping time with the seasonal enrichment items! For some of the cats, like Danvir and Sajani, this would be the first time they received the Christmas trees as enrichment, so we were very eager and excited to see what they would do! It is safe to say we were NOT disappointed by any of the cats - first time or not!

Noel was the first to receive his tree. We were very anxious to see his response, as last year, he absolutely LOVED it! As soon as Noel got to his tree, it was love. He rubbed and rubbed, laid on it, carried it around, and kept it close by the entire day! We loved seeing this big guy turn into a furry ball of mush all for the piney smell of his new enrichment item!

Danvir and Sajani, his neighbors, both enjoyed their first romp with the Christmas trees. Unsure at first, they both approached slowly, but, like Noel, they decided that rubbing all over the trees was the best thing! You can bet with as much rubbing as these two tigers did, they were smelling pretty and piney fresh!

Next came Makeen and Nayakahn, who both had pretty different reactions to the trees! Makeen, who prefers his enrichment enjoyed in private, picked it right up, ran, and took a dive straight into his house, tree in mouth! There he stayed, destroyed the holiday tree! Nayakahn, on the other hand, wasn't quite sure about his tree, circling it, giving it a few sniffs and pokes with his paw, before deciding "Hey! This might be fun!" Then, he took one chomp and when the prickly pine needles touched his tongue, Naya decided he had met his match. He laid down staring at the tree for a few minutes before deciding to come back later with a sneak attack when the tree might not be expecting him!

A few more trees to Zippy, Duke, Khera, Allie and Rasul, and we were having as much fun as the cats were! Rasul was one of the most excited. He ran straight to the trees and pounced. He picked the tree up, threw it around, and ran around his habitat shaking the tree all over! He couldn't get enough with just one tree, so he went and grabbed his sister, Allie's tree and had some fun with that one, too!

Kim, Karen, and Lexus came next. This little group is always fun with Christmas trees! Kim and Karen acted just like Rasul, sprinting around and pulled the needles and branches off little by little. They even took the time to find tiny little branches that had fallen off and destroyed those too! We found little green needs all over the habitat, including plenty in their pool and waters later that day! It seemed they had even more fun when we weren't looking!

Stay posted for more updates on how

the cats and bears here at IEAS loved

the Christmas trees you all donated!

THANK YOU to everyone who helped

make this enrichment possible!

You guys are wonderful!

Christmas Tree Fun BEGINS!

We got our pile of Christmas trees - over 30 were donated, SO great! - and we are ready for the fun to begin! The first round went to some sleepy Grizzly bears, who were all tucked in their cave. We cut some big, comfy branches from the bottoms of the trees that would be perfect for a bear bed! As soon as they heard the branches rustling, they came rolling out, one by one, to investigate.

Almost immediately, Papa Bear started pulling the branches in. He knew exactly what they were for. His three siblings followed his lead and started to drag the branches in, pushing them with the paws or with their teeth! Soon enough, all we could see was a pile of bears and branches! That'll keep them even more toasty warm than they were before!

Thanks to everyone who donated!

THAT could be your tree up there!

Look how happy you made them!

Bundled Up Bears!

As you might guess, because of the cooler winter temperatures, the IEAS bears have gone into their sleepy mode! The grizzly bears, who sleep considerably more than their Black bear friends, have been bundled up together in one of their caves. In total, it is about 2,000 POUNDS of grizzly bear snuggled up warm in a hay filled cave! That's a whole lot of furry body heat and you can bet it's pretty warm in their! When they do poke their heads out, we see a lot of "bed head!" They waddle, half asleep, to their water trough for a drink, then sit down, look around, and wander back in to continue their long nap! It's so great to see the bears acting just as they would in the wild, but we miss seeing these playful bears every day!

The black bears, on the other hand, have been pretty active with the fluctuating temperatures. They have been piling as much hay as they possibly can into their caves, and they have some pretty great little beds made inside each one. They almost look like big bird's nests - a big hay bowl that is just right for a big old black bear to snuggle up in!