Tuesday was the animal sanctuary Animal Ark's opening day of the season.
Their regular hours for the season will be Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
One of their first events of the season is coming up on April 5.
Easter at the Ark will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
They will have egg hunts for the kids, special papier-mache egg enrichment for the animals, and a few other surprises to look forward to.
But because Tuesday was opening day, we caught up with some visitors about their wild and fun experiences.
"We caught the bear feeding, and that's just a cool bear. It's eating its snacks, but the jaguar was huge and beautiful, and I've just never seen one that close before. All the big cats here have been very impressive," said Blake Beavers, visiting from Madison, Wisconsin.
He also told us a fun fact he learned about his favorite big cat.
"She mentioned that the jaguar snags blue jays out of the air sometimes, and it's just a reminder that these are still wild animals, and best-case scenario, they're living in the wild, but it's also a reminder sometimes they need to be here and can adapt and still find ways to be wild in their own way," he said.
Even the staff was excited to get opening day up and running for both the visitors and the animals.
"We are so excited to have everybody back here," said Jasmine Tomita, an animal care supervisor at Animal Ark. "The crowd has been wonderful today already. Our animals are excited to see activity here on-site, and we're just super stoked to be back here for the season."
She says they work hard during the off-season, upgrading enclosures and fixing things around the sanctuary, leading up to opening day.
"All of our animals are doing fantastic," she said. "They seem to be really enjoying the interaction with our guests. I've noticed some of our animals are really up front at the glass today and checking everything out. I think they really enjoy seeing the people just as much as the people enjoy seeing them."
Tomita also says they'll have some special wild friends to be revealed this season.
"I can't give any detail yet, but we do have four new friends joining the sanctuary this season, so stay tuned. Some of them will be coming very, very soon," She told us excitedly.
Beavers tells us he loves seeing the animals up close but also appreciates the sanctuary's mission.
"All the animals have been out," she said. "They seem healthy. All the zookeepers are very knowledgeable about everything. Kids love it, obviously. It's been a lot of fun, you know? Very impressed with where this place is and the mission that it has."
Plus, he said it's easy to learn more about these exotic creatures with such knowledgeable keepers.
"I think it's important, you know? The kids have questions, and I like animals, but I don't have the answer to every question," he said. "Zookeepers know about their personalities, and that helps personalize the animals and helps us engage with them a little better."
If you'd like to visit the animals and find out more about tickets and events, you can click the link here.
