What exotic or shall we say, unusual animals have you held/stroked?

A baby black bear and then an adult black bear. The baby bear had impressive claws for it’s size and the adult’s fur felt thick like sheep’s wool.
Then there was the hairpiece on the top of my date’s head.It looked like an animal. not kidding

@lucillelucillelucille Impressed with the bears & a little envious.
Amused by the date…what were you even thinking?

@ucme- He was very tall so I didn’t notice until he bent down to pull his nose hair out of the car door.

@lucillelucillelucille A lucky escape then!

@ucme – For me or the nose hair? the hairpiece was on his head like white on rice

@lucillelucillelucille For you, he deserves all he gets :D

@ucme – I cannot remember his name anymore as it was a long time ago but I do wonder what his hairpiece is doing now. sigh
His nose hair went pro on the jump rope circuit.

I volunteered at the zoo, but I loved the elephants the most. The giraffe’s were cool. They wouldn’t let me get close to the wolves, which I adore. Boo!~

@KNOWITALL Wolves are awesome to look at, love their thick coats & handsome heads.

Newly hatched sea turtles, purple-clawed crabs (ow!) and an injured toucan when I was working with an animal protection group in Costa Rica.

A wild cottontail rabbit.

I held hands with a domesticated raccoon. They have very sensitive and intelligent hands that can be very gentle, or can shred you with their claws.

My husband. ’)

^ My sister would sometimes gaze at her ex and comment on his actions like the narrator of a nature show might. It annoyed him (and amused her) very much.

@Zaku Now that I’m jealous of. My great uncle kept a caged one but of course it was mean. Was yours nice?

Full grown wolf that jumped at me

Iguana

Gator

Huge owl which died in my arms

Crow

Cockatoo

Parrots of various sizes, types, and ages

Yellow spotted salamanders

Squirrels

Llamas (mama llamas, but no Dolly llamas)

Cattle

Pigs

Chickens

Camels

An elephant

Jellyfish (not giving names)

Crabs hermit and horseshoe

Do mermaids count?

Horses

Wild ducks and geese

Mice I’ve caught

Snakes, not for religious purposes

Horned toad

Regular toads and frogs and tadpoles

Crawdads

Bats little brown bats like their tummies tickled

Prairie dogs

Peahen and chicks

Praying mantids and gonna hatch some in March so they have strength and size developed in time for the start of warm weather

Hedgehog

Skunk I didn’t pet it, but it walked around me brushed up against my legs, and leaned against me as it sniffed the fresh polish on my boots. When I spoke to it, it got nervous and took off.

That’s pretty much it.

@Patty Wow!!! Tickled bats tummies?

This exhibit at Henry Doorly zoo in Omaha is kept dark so they can reverse the nocturnal critters to being active in the day. At one minute in, you see the tiny bats. When I lived in Omaha, my daughter and I visited the zoo often as we could. The only thing separating us from the little bats was a thin netting. If you put your hand to it, they will take turns flying over to sniff your fingers. Some will let you tickle their soft little tummies. However, anyone wanting to try it should bring moist towelettes and hand sanitizer, because guess what is all over that net.
It is an amazing zoo. I never managed to go through the lemur enclosure during a time when they feel like socializing. You are in there with them, so if they want, they can jump on you. The same goes for the butterfly enclosure. They are all over, and land on most people when you go in.
@KNOWITALL, it would be worth the drive up for you to see it sometime. Many animals roam free, or are in enclosures you can be in with them.
Man, now I am wishing I could make a trip back there.

@KNOWITALL The one I held hands with seemed super nice and friendly. It seemed to me his hand was trying to communicate and learn what I was like with its touch. He was in a rehab center after being surrendered by the people who nearly-domesticated him and couldn’t keep him any longer. He wanted to hang out indoors with people. The center was getting him ready to use as an educational ambassador.

@Patty_Melt I had a feeling you had held a cockatoo in your life :D

Firmly, but mustn’t pinch.

@Zaku, such a wonderful story. I too am jealous. I have seen many coon but never had an experience like that with one.

@Patty_Melt I had an encounter with what I believe was a rabid one on a bike path.Poor thing.

A golden eagle. I was working with a youth program and we were in Arizona at the time. Some of the kids were loitering at a spot near a fence along the road, and noticed a beautiful golden eagle flopping around trying unsuccessfully to fly. We captured it using a cargo net, immobilized its legs and talons with a large belt, and slipped a sock over its head to calm the bird. We noticed that it had been injured in the breast area. We notified the AZ State police, who in turn took it to the