A & S Animal Encounters

28/07/2026

The glamorous side of working with animals… 😅

Today’s job? Giving the skunk a good brush! 🦨🪮

People see the fun encounters, cuddles and photos… they don’t always see the endless grooming, cleaning, feeding, enclosure maintenance and everything else that goes on behind the scenes.

It really never ends… but we wouldn’t have it any other way. ❤️

A well-groomed skunk is a happy skunk! 🦨

26/07/2026

🪳 Meet the Giant Peppered Cockroach! 🌿

Don’t let the name fool you… these incredible insects are one of our favourite ambassadors for changing minds! ❤️

Native to the tropical rainforests of Central America, the Giant Peppered Cockroach (Archimandrita tessellata) spends its life doing one of nature’s most important jobs—breaking down fallen leaves and decaying plant material to recycle nutrients back into the forest.

Despite their impressive size, they’re completely harmless to people. They don’t bite, they don’t sting, and they’re surprisingly gentle to handle.

Their beautiful mottled “peppered” pattern provides excellent camouflage amongst the leaf litter, helping them disappear from predators in the wild.

It’s amazing watching children (and plenty of adults! 😂) go from “No chance!” to “Can I hold it?” in just a few minutes. Education really does replace fear with fascination.

Would you be brave enough to hold one? 🪳🙌

21/07/2026

Not our usual day at work! 😂📸

Shona and Alivia are out today on a shoot for Numeriś, a British luxury footwear brand specialising in premium designer trainers. The company was created by two friends who wanted to bridge the gap between high-end design, quality craftsmanship and more reasonable pricing, with its footwear handcrafted in Portugal. 👟✨

Meanwhile, Shona has already been promoted to chief equipment carrier by the looks of it! 😂💪

We’re looking forward to seeing the finished photographs! 📸🔥

20/07/2026

18/07/2026

Today we’re at Penrhiw Nursery in Oakdale for their Family Engagement Day! 🦨💚

We’re looking forward to introducing everyone to some incredible animals, sharing loads of fascinating facts and giving the families a brilliant up-close experience.

Our little striped skunk is already stealing the show! 😂

16/07/2026

He’s 15 now? Wonder if there’s any Black Throats or monitors as old or as big as him

16/07/2026

Somebody clearly wasn’t ready for work today… 😂😴

Biscuit decided that meeting everyone was exhausting, so he stretched out on the table and looked ready for a nap! It’s a hard life being everyone’s favourite binturong. 🐾🖤

16/07/2026

What a crazy school year it’s been! 🐍🦎🦂

We’ve been absolutely jam-packed from start to finish, rounding off the year today at Rhyd y Grug, while Shona visited Ysgol Gymraeg Pwll Coch.

A huge thank you to every school that has welcomed us through their doors this year. We’ve loved meeting thousands of pupils, sharing our amazing animals and helping bring classroom topics to life.

Thank you for continuing to support our small family business and for trusting us to educate and inspire your pupils. Now it’s time for an equally busy summer! 💪🐾

16/07/2026

Another brilliant day bringing some of our amazing animals into the classroom! 🐾🦨

Bobby the meerkat was showing off his best standing pose, while Tink the skunk enjoyed meeting the children and receiving plenty of gentle fuss.

It’s always fantastic watching the children grow in confidence, ask questions and learn about each animal’s behaviour, adaptations and natural habitat.

A huge thank you to everyone for making us feel so welcome! 💚

16/07/2026

Bob the meerkat and Timmy the yellow mongoose are already enjoying their brand-new basking section! ☀️🛠️

Another little enclosure project finished, giving them a warm raised platform where they can stretch out, relax and keep an eye on everything going on around them.

I even managed to squeeze in a real palm tree to complete the look! 🌴😂 Safe to say, they seem very pleased with the upgrade.