Animal adoration

COEUR d’ALENE

During a recent adventure to Big Red’s Barn, 2-year-old Jackson McCrite of Post Falls cautiously offered a moist leaf of romaine lettuce to Hector, a behemoth rodent tipping the scales at about 85 pounds.

“He’s so hungry and big,” the toddler marveled as he watched the critter delicately nibble the veggie treat.

The capybara, a native to South America and dubbed as the world’s largest living rodent species, is just one of numerous animals featured at Big Red’s, an indoor petting zoo that is home to a wide variety of exotic creatures, farm animals, miniatures, reptiles and avians.

Located at 7397 N. Government Way in Coeur d’Alene, Big Red’s offers a unique opportunity for curious kids and animal-loving adults to get up close and personal with well-behaved creatures in a nicely maintained petting zoo unlike anything else in the area.

“It truly is an educational experience,” said Big Red’s owner Jeannene Christ. “We do our best to educate our guests about the different types of animals we have here. We strive to make everyone’s visit educational and fun.”

Hector is a big attraction at Big Red’s as visitors line up to pet, gawk, point and coo over the portly rodent.

Christ said the petting zoo is therapeutic to the dozens who visit the business on any given day.

“Everybody knows that animals can be calming in their own way,” she said.

Christ is not new to the petting zoo concept. In the past, she’s brought her interesting animals to area fairs and other temporary events. But she’s breaking new ground with the indoor, year-round zoo.

“With Big Red’s, it’s something that people can do throughout the year out of the weather, where our animals are clean and dry,” she said.

Attracting visitors of all ages, Christ said adults have date nights and teens do couple’s day.

“There’s really nothing else like it out there locally,” she said.

Seven-year-old Addie Sawyer of Kingston also took a liking to Hector.

“I like his whiskers and he’s so nice,” she said. “I’d love to take him home.”

Aside from the big rodent, Big Red’s has wallabies, rabbits, miniature pigs, dwarf goats, sheep, zebu (miniature cow), Patagonian cavies/maras, capybara, mini donkey, sugar gliders and ferrets.

Christ said Big Red’s has two party barns available for private parties such as birthdays, reunions, staff meetings, holiday events, and more.

To learn more, visit bigredsbarn.com/aboutus.html or go to their Facebook page at facebook.com/bigredsbarn.