HELENA — With tarantulas, pythons, chinchillas, and more, Animal Tracks Outreach in Helena brings exotic animals to your events, such as school presentations, senior living facilities, birthday parties, and more.
"[To] spark the love and joy of animals. I mean, we share this world with them, and I think it's important to educate everybody that this world is theirs as well as ours," said Animal Tracks Outreach founder Christina Wetherall.
She started Animal Tracks Outreach in 2019. What began with a few chinchillas and reptiles has now grown to around 45 animals.
"It kinda changes monthly. It's hard to keep track of everybody," Wetherall said.
She studied through an Exotic Animal Training and Management Program at Moorpark College in California, but her love of animals started much earlier.
"I was four, and I think [I was at] a zoo in Tennessee, and I fell in love with the hippos. And it just kind of...went downhill from there. So yeah, I'm the crazy animal lady that I am now," she said.
Wetherall cannot say no to helping animals; about 90 percent of her animals have been rescued.
She said, "Finding animals off of Facebook, Craigslist, people that can't take care of the animals anymore or have realized 'oh my god, I have this exotic animal, and I don't know how to care for it.'"
While she says they are maxed out on animals, she would be willing to make room for one.
"We would love to get a skunk, but I have to get a wildlife license before I do that," she said.
Wetherall checks in with the animals several times daily, cleaning and feeding them their individualized diets.
Animal Tracks Outreach is based in Helena, and will travel to Butte, Great Falls and Bozeman for an additional fee.
For more information, click here to visit the website.
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