365 Days with Wild Animals: A Full Year Recap and 2026 Goals

2025: A Year of Animal Adventures and Global Travel

• 🗓️ The year 2025 was an incredible journey, filled with both highs and lows, involving over 30 exotic animal rescues and extensive global travel.
• 🌍 Key travel destinations included South Africa for wild lions and leopards, and Uganda for an unforgettable trek with mountain gorillas.
• 🏠 The recap highlights month-by-month events, including significant improvements to animal habitats and exciting, previously unannounced projects.

Alligator House Upgrades and Viral Moments

• 🐊 The alligator habitat saw major upgrades, including a new waterfall, cleaned fiberglass, and improved water quality, transforming the space for residents like Soni and Chompers.
• 💡 A surprising highlight was the viral video of Happy the alligator snapping turtle biting a fake hand on April Fool's Day, which garnered nearly half a billion views across platforms.
• 🥚 The team also experimented with feeding alligators Easter eggs, though this was deemed a 'bust' compared to the popular pool draining video.

Notable Animal Rescues and Encounters

• 🦎 A significant rescue in January was a monkeytailed skink named Prune, who has become a favorite despite initial feeding challenges.
• 🐍 The year included filming with giant Burmese pythons, Shere Khan and Buddy, and even flying Shere Khan on a plane.
• 🐢 The team experienced magical encounters with sea turtles on the Oregon coast and celebrated their own birthdays with alligator age reveals (Soni at 26, Chompers at 16).

Global Adventures and Celebrity Encounters

• 🇿🇦 A memorable trip to South Africa included tracking rhinos on foot and a serendipitous meeting with Terry and Robert Irwin at a local grocery store.
• 🦍 Trekking with mountain gorillas and chimpanzees in Uganda was a lifelong bucket list item, described as an indescribable experience.
• ✈️ A secret filming project took place in India at a spectacular wildlife rescue, featuring rare species never before encountered or filmed.

Community Events and Future Goals

• 🎪 The team hosted numerous live shows and events across the US, including at Blue Zoos in Iowa and Arkansas, and a highly attended Barnyard Babies event.
• 🏡 A significant personal accomplishment was purchasing their first home, with plans to offer it as a rental experience with potential animal encounters.
• 🎯 Goals for 2026 include building a greenhouse, upgrading the alligator house with better insulation and ventilation, and improving the alligator ramp and doors, all while focusing on viewer-requested content.