Animal Ambassadors

Meet Our Animal Ambassadors!

The Education Department is made up of a diverse team of individuals, including more than 60 animal ambassadors! The Education Department strives to provide hands-on humane education with the help of these animal ambassadors. Many on the ambassador team are animals that have been domesticated or are commonly kept as exotic pets, with the mission that by teaching about the proper pet care of these animals, we can then inspire compassion for them, their wild counterparts, and ultimately all living things.

Animals join our team in a few different ways: they are either rescued from other facilities, leased to us for various times from their owner, or occasionally someone will surrender us an animal that fits the program well. We do not breed our animals, and we strive to bring in rescues as much as possible in the hopes that this will inspire our program participants to adopt and not shop for their pets. Our animal ambassadors must pass a temperament test before becoming part of the program and even participate in a rotating usage schedule to ensure they are not overworked. We have a dedicated and hardworking animal care team that ensure all the animals’ needs are met, from a proper diet, to exercise, and enrichment.

Get to know our animal ambassador team below!

Large Mammals

Goats

Millie

She arrived at Helen Woodward Animal Center when she was only 1 month old! She had to be bottle-fed 4 times a day and had round-the-clock care. Since then she’s grown and is a happy, healthy goat.

Leonard

He is a friendly goat and loves to be groomed, especially when it’s hot, to get rid of some of his extra fur.

Mildred

She is a sweet goat and will often push her head and rub it against the staff’s legs as a sign of acceptance.

Miniature Horses

Bella

As her name suggests, she is a beautiful horse with mesmerizing blue eyes!

Fable

He is a very patient horse and lets guests take their time as they learn how to pet and groom him properly.

Sheep

Chewie

He is friendly and curious and was named after Chewbacca for how fluffy he is.

Small Mammals

Chinchillas

Mister

His favorite snacks are raisins and almonds.

Popps

He is very curious about people and loves to run on his wheel!

Guinea Pigs

Cinnamon

She is a beautiful guinea pig with special coloring referred to as “red roan”.

Gus

He is a very social guinea pig and gets along with all the other guinea pigs.

Reyna

She loves any sort of vegetable as a treat!

Pomegranate

She is very energetic and really enjoys her morning breakfast salad.

Hoot

Loves to call out when it’s breakfast time!

Nanny

Enjoys getting cozy during nap time.

Rabbits

Copper

He is an energetic rabbit and loves to meet people.

Corporal Hershey

Loves to rearrange his enclosure, placing items where he likes them.

Mango

He has lots of energy and loves to run around his enclosure, especially after it’s been freshly cleaned.

Bonnie

She is very curious, but also shy at times. Super friendly personality.

Clyde

Loves to explore his surroundings and groom his partner.

Yeti

Originally abandoned in a park and rescued with a lunch box, when no one claimed her this sweet girl joined our team!

Nessie

So friendly and kind she’ll lay still forever while you pet her!

Birds

Parrots

Tasha - African Grey Parrot

Some of his favorite toys are his spoons and he loves to rip up paper! He prefers to mimic sounds over words and is often too shy to speak when there are eyes on him. We originally thought he was a girl until some tests were later run due to illness and we realized he was a boy!

Zeus - Senegal Parrot

He loves getting attention and will make loud whistles and clicking noises when he feels like all eyes aren’t on him! He can say “pretty bird” sometimes! He is especially fond of men, beards, and glasses.

Cheeka - Green Cheek Conure

She is a sweet and happy parrot. She enjoys all kinds of fruit and loves to spin in circles and dance. She is attracted to nail polish and jewelry.

Angel - Cockatiel

She enjoys bird watching and her favorite treat is Millet.

Doves

Pumpkin

He enjoys taking baths.

Pie

She loves to coo back and forth to the other doves.

Annie

One of his favorite ways to relax is by spending time in his outdoor enclosure, spreading his wings, and sunbathing. We originally thought he was a girl which is why we named him Annie!

Chickens

Lil Peep

Lil Peep is super vocal and lets everyone know when she has laid an egg.

Nebula

Nebula is super friendly and loves snack time.

Peach

Peach is a sweet and easygoing chicken. She greatly enjoys receiving snacks.

Paprika

She runs over to see if you have treats.

Reptiles & Amphibians

Lizards

Blue - Leopard Gecko

She is often found in her humidity hide soaking up the heat and moisture. Blue’s favorite snack is Dubia roaches.

Dicci - Leopard Gecko

She is an active gecko and loves to hunt for her food. When she gets excited, particularly with food, she will wiggle the end of her tail.

Echo - Leopard Gecko

She is a great hunter and loves to eat a bunch when she gets the opportunity. When she is outside of her enclosure, she constantly wants to explore her new environment.

Kevin Jr - Bearded Dragon

He loves to sunbathe and people watch from his enclosure.

Sebastian - Blue Tongue Skink

He is very active and is often looking out his enclosure to watch daily activities. He loves to hunt for his food and shake it back and forth for emphasis.

Skippy John - Blue Tongue Skink

He is a bit shy when meeting people, but loves to sit at the front of his enclosure and observe the happenings of each day with curiosity.

Snakes

Rocky Balboa- Kenyan Sand Boa

He enjoys burrowing in his sand and poking his head out to observe his surroundings .

Apollo Creed - Kenyan Sand Boa

He enjoys sleeping in his sand.

Noodle - Mexican Rosy Boa

She is a very mellow snake and likes to explore when being handled.

Fizzy - Ball Python

His full name is Fizzy McSquiggles and is a very active snake and used to lots of handling as he’s been a childhood pet. He’s very active by ball python standards and loves to explore his enclosure as well as the environment when he’s being handled.

Ivy - Ball Python

She is a very sweet and mellow snake and she loves being handled. She can usually be found curled up inside her favorite cave, but once she’s out, she’s ready to go.

Turtles & Tortoises

Big Girl - Gulf Coast Box Turtle

She loves to nap inside her warm den or dig around in her cave.

Happy - Three-Toed Box Turtle

She’s curious and hesitant about new things, but can always be convinced with food.

Zoey - California Desert Tortoise

He has been here since 1998 and is our oldest Animal Ambassador; he has a special permit to be on our team. We originally thought he was a girl until we ran tests due to an illness and found out otherwise! He loves cucumber but dislikes carrots.

Frogs

Dumpling - White's Tree Frog

He is a sit-and-wait predator and can almost always be found hiding on the back wall of his enclosure. His vision has reduced as he’s aged so he tends to jump at anything that moves in case it’s a tasty snack.

Sir Charles - White's Tree Frog

He is a very polite frog who is too shy to show his tongue when eating so his food is left in overnight where he can catch his food with his sticky tongue in private.

Invertebrates

Blue Death Feigning Beetles

The beetles may “feign death” when threatened in order to dissuade predators.

Earthworms

Earthworms are critical in helping maintain ecosystems because their activity in the soil increases nutrients, drainage, and stabilizes the soil.

Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches

These unique cockroaches make a hissing sound by pushing air through holes on their abdomen, called spiracles! As they get used to being handled they know we’re not a threat and don’t hiss as much.

Retired Animal Ambassadors

These animals have been a wonderful part of the team, but are now retired and no longer participate in programs. If interested in adopting one of them, please contact our Animal Care Assistant Manager, Kelly Ryback, at KellyR@animalcenter.org

Maybelline - Rabbit

She is a silly rabbit and will often throw her food dishes around once she’s finished her breakfast.

Your program fee helps support all of our adoptable animals, as well as the many human and animal services Helen Woodward Animal Center provides.

For more information:
Please contact us at education@animalcenter.org or 858-756-4117 ext. 318

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