CRYSTAL LAKE, IL — Mary Pat and Cat Collins believe even some of nature’s often overlooked creatures — such as rats, Madagascar hissing cockroaches and hedgehogs — deserve warm homes and can make great pets.
That’s why the duo decided to open Lost Woods Nature Sanctuary, which is located off Route 176 near the Fox River in Burtons Bridge. In its first year here, the nature center has taken in 70 unwanted animals, including several guinea pigs, hedgehogs, bearded lizards, turtles and rats. And so far, 50 of those animals have been adopted out to new homes.
Pat and Collins came up with the idea for Lost Woods while working together at Wildwood Nature Center in Park Ridge. Collins, who received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from DePaul and graduate certificate in non-profit management from North Park University, said people would bring in guinea pigs and small exotic pets to the nature center, looking for a place where the animals could be cared for.
But such services are few and far between, she said.
“And we just realized there really needs to be a shelter for small exotic pets,” Collins said. “There are a lot of places for dogs or cats but there are not a lot of places where you can take a guinea pig or a mouse or a turtle.”
Colins said a lot of these animals, especially guinea pigs, were purchased for children during COVID. Parents learned over time the animals, which they thought would be simple to care for, were more work than expected, Collins said.
“It was a trend,” Collins said. “And guinea pigs can be pretty high maintenance.”
So, Collins — who also works part-time as a veterinary assistant — and Pat — who majored in early childhood education in college — decided to combine their expertise to create Lost Woods, which aims to make sure small exotic pets find homes where they will be wanted and also to educate the public, especially children, about these animals. In addition, Collins receives perks from her vet job that allow for discounts for medical care and testing, which Lost Woods also handles for the animals that are brought in.
Lost Woods is located on a property off of Route 176 and near the Fox River that has a farmhouse and woodshed, which was formerly owned by a carpenter, Collins said. Currently, Lost Woods is caring for about a dozen guinea pigs, three reptiles and two rats.
By spring, they hope to open their animal building, which will be a heated pole barn with a kitchenette and space to hold educational programs where boy and girl scout troops, for example, could come to learn more about whatever animals they currently have on hand. More regularly community events could also be possible down the road.
Collins also owns some pet bugs, which you may have met if you stopped out to the popular Farmers Market + At the Dole. Lost Woods had a booth and Collins brought her Madagascar hissing cockroach, which she let visitors to her booth hold, as well as American millipedes. She couldn’t bring the “peppered roaches,” she said, because those can fly.
All the bugs were brought in by Collins after she worked for the Field Museum’s Fantastic Bug Encounter exhibit and will be used in the future for educational purposes.
Lost Woods aims to keep adoption fees low, Collins said, and you can check out what is available for adoption on the non-profit’s website. Most of the animals brought in are from owner relinquishments but Lost Woods also has taken in some stray hamsters or guinea pigs found wandering around as well as several hamsters that were dumped in an alley.
“We have definitely had some adventures in this first year,” Collins said.
