Students at the St. Francis Creche Preschool in Great Falls got to meet, pet, ogle, and learn about a variety of animals they might never know about otherwise, thanks to a special visit last week from the Bar-C Traveling Zoo of Berryville, Va.

Jennifer Caton of the Bar-C Ranch spoke to Creche students about the animals, which included a mara (from the Patagonian Cavy family of large rodents), a floppy-eared bunny, a giant tortoise, a blue-tongued skink lizard (originally from Australia), and a one-week old baby goat kid.

Creche students were fascinated to learn about these animals. Everyone had an opportunity to pet each one. The baby kid pounced on the giant tortoise — a sight to behold, and the children delighted in friendly grunts from the mara. The wet weather forced the zoo indoors, but did not dampen spirits. Creche Director Jane Ruppe Keihn said, “The petting zoo provides a wonderful chance for young children to come face to face with a wide variety of animals, and we are so pleased we could offer this learning opportunity."