A Saugus Iron Works crowd enjoys close Wildlife Encounters

By Laura Eisener

A group of almost 200 people, including many children, enjoyed seeing a variety of interesting creatures in a shady spot at the Saugus Iron Works on Monday morning – thanks to a program put on by the Saugus Public Library. These animals came from the Wildlife Encounters Ecology & Wellness Center in New Hampshire. The organization’s founder, director and environmental educator, Derek Small, brought a small menagerie of animals to introduce to the gathering.

All the animals live at the family-run center because they cannot survive in the wild. Some were injured; others were bred in captivity and placed at this facility; and a few were animals exploited by illegal wildlife trade. The center is located on a former farm in the N.H. seacoast area.

Some of the “animal ambassadors” that visited Saugus were a Himalayan lion’s mane rabbit, chinchilla, fennec fox, American alligator and Burmese python. Wildlife Encounters offers a variety of educational programs both at their home location in Barrington, New Hampshire, and with live animals brought to nonprofit institutions in New England.

The Saugus Public Library and Saugus Iron Works have found these visits to be among the most popular outdoor summer events they offer. Animal Encounters are considered appropriate for children ages three and up.