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One of my favorite places here in Philadelphia is the Academy of Natural Sciences. I’ve been there a couple times this year, checking out the wonderful butterfly exhibit and attending the opening of the great Amazon Voyage display. What can I say, I like dinosaurs, tropical jungles, exotic fish, and pretty butterflies.

Contemporary art just doesn’t do it for me. I like to laugh, smile, and clap my hands. I like things that make me go “aww”. The Academy of Natural Sciences is just the place, and the Live Animal Center doesn’t just teach you about conservation and the environment. The place straight up warms your heart.

Tucked away on the bottom floor of the Academy is the Florence R. Foerderer Live Animal Center. Home to well over 100 live animals, the facility takes care of animals that were injured or born in captivity, thus not able to survive in the wild. The museum holds daily naturalist shows and a special program called Outside-In, where children can get up close and personal with the live animals, and are given a chance to learn about them.

I caught this little fox napping. Adorable.

However, running this place is hard work! With over one hundred animals being cared for, there are a lot of mouths to feed. The museums clocks in over 175 hours of work a week to keep the animals healthy. And let’s not forget, a lot of these little guys are injured and need the extra attention too.

If you’re in the area, visit the Academy of Natural Sciences’ official website for information on how you can volunteer, adopt an animal, or even take on an internship in the live animal center. Just want to stop by for a visit? Well all of that information is on the website as well.

I can’t wait to go back. In February they have a new exhibit opening about the Arctic, however I’m sure I’ll be visiting again way before that.

Academy of Natural Sciences
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 299-1000
http://www.ansp.org/