Hi guys.  We're back at Animal Wonders and I am so happy.  It's not every day that we get the privilege of building a brand new space for an animal that we rescue, but that's exactly what we just did.  

(Intro)

Over the last two years, I've shown you a few big improvements we've been able to make for our animals, including the reptile room makeover and Joy's big surprise.  We've been able to do these projects because of the support of our Patreon Patrons and we've done it again, this time in a big way.  This is Frasier, the American mink, and this is where he used to live.  The reason he was living in a space designed for a ferret was because we rescued him before we had built a place for him to live.  We usually don't do this, but the only other option for him was to be euthanized so we wanted to give it a shot.  

With the help of several generous donors and the continued support of our Patreon Patrons, we've been able to take the first steps in giving Frasier the home and life he deserves.  Let's check out his new space.  

Here it is!  To do this project, we started by clearing the area and then building a solid barrier wall.  Then we laid a foundation and poured the cement for the floor.  We purchased a high-quality primary barrier, or enclosure, to help keep him safe and then we built a secondary barrier per USDA regulations to help keep other animals and humans from getting too close.  Then, we decorated!  I wanted to give him as many natural items as possible, but also include some other things that he enjoys, like blankets and his cardboard tube.  He's only been in here for three days, so as we get to know what he likes and dislikes, we can continue to modify his space.  

Right now, his two favorite things are his long cardboard tunnel and his water dish, which he loves to dunk his head into.  I mentioned that this was the first step in giving Frasier the home he deserves and that's because we have plans to continue to improve his life.  We'd like to build a space for him that has an indoor area so he can get out of the weather if he wants to, but also an outdoor area that's open to the natural weather so he can bask in the sunlight or frolic in the snow.  The floor will be natural dirt and plants and if he wants to, he can dig in it.  He'll also have a much larger water feature that he can actually swim in and since American mink are semi-aquatic and Frasier's already shown us how much he loves water, I can only imagine how much fun he's gonna have in it.

That's our dream for his future and at some point, it's going to become a reality.  Until that day, I'm going to be spending a lot of time with Frasier on a whole new level.  This space allows me to interact with him free contact so I can start training him to become an ambassador for his species.  My goal is to get him comfortable wearing a harness so that I can take him out on public presentations to teach about how awesome mink are and their role in the environment.

So far, training sessions are going great.  He's a quick learner and he's not nearly as aggressive as he was in the smaller space.  We've discovered Frasier's favorite toys are the ones attached to bungee cords and also canvas covered stuffed animals.  He loves disemboweling them.  

If you'd like to give Frasier some housewarming gifts, you can follow the link in the description to our Amazon wishlist and if you'd like to make Frasier's dream home become a reality, you can donate directly to Animal Wonders through our website.  The link to Frasier's mink mansion fundraiser is in the description below.  I think Frasier is really enjoying his toy.  I'm going to go ahead and let him continue to do that.  If you'd like to go on an adventure with us every week, subscribe to our YouTube channel, AnimalWondersMontana, and we'll see you next time.

(Outro/Credits)

Joy is really living up to her name.  I'm so happy that she's doing so well after all she's been through and that we're able to form a stronger trust bond as the years go on.