Meet Misha!

The Sanctuary has an adorable new resident! 

Meet Misha! 

Misha, whose name means "teddy bear" in Russian, is an approximately twelve week old brown bear cub who was confiscated from an individual in Maryland and brought to the Wildlife Center of Virginia (WCV). It is suspected that she is, more specifically, a Syrian brown bear, but DNA has been sent out to confirm her exact subspecies. Given that she has been raised, up to this point, by humans, it was deemed that she was not suitable for rehabilitation and release. Instead, the WCV, Department of Game and Inland Fishers, and/or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service arranged for her placement with us! After a short bout with ringworm, she was ready to come to her new home! 

Misha was flown to Texas by friends of WCV (and now friends of IEAS!), Dr. Larry Patterson and Mrs. Jessica Patterson from Tennessee. We can't thank them enough for their donation of transportation for this special little cub. We'd also like to extend our gratitude to the staff and supporters of Wildlife Center of Virginia who have already become our new friends! We look forward to seeing you all out in Texas to visit Misha!

So far, Misha has been doing amazingly well in her new home. Her confidence grows by the hour, and with the help of our Emotional Enrichment Program, she's making leaps and bounds in her security and trust. There will be plenty of pictures, videos, and updates to come so stay tuned for more about this gorgeous new cub on our website, Facebook, and Blog! 

Donate to help us with the cost of Misha's special care (formula, baby food, habitat adjustments, etc.) by clicking here! 

Stormy Weather

We've always known that Texas weather was somewhat unpredictable, and we've been experiencing it first hand the past few weeks. We've had a few people touching base to see how we were doing, so we wanted to let everyone know that all is well at the Sanctuary. Yesterday, we were under a tornado watch for most of the evening into the night. Twisters touched down in regions to the north and west of us here at IEAS, but we were fortunate enough as to stay safe.

While we remain under a tornado watch today, we will be keeping a close eye on the weather. Luckily, the animals are enjoying the cooler, cloudier day and are napping peacefully in their habitats. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those who have been affected by these scary storms the past few days. Stay safe all! 

Take Action for IEAS!

Some of us put a great deal of effort into conserving energy, gas, and other resources - and that's an amazing thing! What if all that effort had a reward that was more obvious and immediate than what you're used while STILL helping the environment? Well, now it can!

By signing up with myactions.org, each of your daily resource saving actions can raise money for IEAS! Here's how...

First... go to www.myactions.org! 

Then, click "Sign Up" 

Next, fill out the form to join myActions!

Then, click "Team" in the upper right portion of your screen.

After that, click "Find Team" and search for "IEAS"

Click our logo, and when the team page 

pops up, click "Join This Team"

Once you confirm, you're a member of the IEAS team and all of money you raise by conserving resources will automatically go to IEAS! Yay! So, now it's time to start TAKING ACTION! 

Go back up to the top right corner of your screen, 

and click "Actions"

Now, start helping! You can come back daily, weekly, or whenever you can and log all the action you've taken. Each one raises money for IEAS. It won't seem like much at first, but it will DEFINITELY add up! So, TAKE ACTION for IEAS! 

Awesome! We can't wait to see how many of you join our team to help the Earth AND IEAS! It's definitely win-win for everyone! 

Questions? Ask us on Facebook or e-mail education@bigcat.org!

Virtual Visitors from New York!

A few days ago, students from Bemus Point Elementary School in Bemus Point, New York visited the International Exotic Animal Sanctuary – without ever leaving their classroom!

The first graders took a virtual tour of IEAS via Skype, and they had the opportunity to meet and learn from some of the Sanctuary’s many amazing residents! The students were virtually guided around the Sanctuary by Nissa Marione, the IEAS Education Coordinator. They had a blast being “sniffed” and chuffed at through their computer screen. It was a wonderful opportunity for these students from across the country to be able to meet the amazing IEAS animals and learn about their species, stories, and needs! 

We had some great feedback from both the teachers and the students. Our favorite responses were those in the form of handwritten notes and drawings from the first graders! Here are a few of our favorites! 

Her favorite animals, Akbar, Arusha, and Kumar - three white Bengal tigers! By Stephanie D. 

Her favorite animals, Baby and Cookie the bobcats! By Hannah B.

Mork and Mindy, two white-nosed coatis beside their hammock! By Caleb B. 

His favorite animal, Ron, a male lion, eating from his pan! By Jack

Her favorite cat, Titan, a white Bengal tiger! By Melody S. 

We are so happy to have had the opportunity to introduce these youngsters to the amazing animals who call IEAS home. As they may not have had the chance to see the animals any other way, it was a great experience! Thanks for "visiting" IEAS Bemus Point Elementary! 

Is YOUR school interested in a virtual tour of the International Exotic Animal Sanctuary? E-mail us at education@bigcat.org for more information! 

Does your child already know and love IEAS or animals in general? Check out our Exotic Animal Adventure Program and schedule an adventure at IEAS for your child this summer! 

Calling All Kids! EXOTIC ANIMAL ADVENTURE!