Mammal Madness returns to Four Rivers on March 7

Celebrate the wonderful creatures that call Will County home during the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s annual Mammal Madness event on Saturday, March 7.

The free, all-ages event will feature live animals, games and activities from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon.

“You may see squirrels in your backyard, a raccoon in a tree or a coyote out in the field, but how much do you know about them?” asked Jerome Gabriel, facility supervisor at Four Rivers. “Mammal Madness is an event where we highlight many of the mammals you might see every day and help you learn how amazing these animals really are.”

The event will feature live animals during two, one-hour presentations. An opossum will be featured along with critters from other regions, including a Canada lynx, a three-banded armadillo and a North American porcupine. The animal presentations by Big Run Wolf Ranch will be held at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

“There will also be a room designed for visitors to touch and interact with pelts and bones, play mammal games, and interact with naturalists on site to answer any questions about our mammal residents,” Gabriel said.

Attendees also will have access to a craft room with a mammal-themed activity and the exhibit hall, including the 2,000-gallon aquarium. S’mores and face-painting also will be available.

“Outdoors, visitors can explore the trails around Four Rivers, looking for many of our mammal residents and testing their might in our Mammalympics,” he said. “Can you jump as high as a fox or smell as well as a deer? Can you tell the difference between the fur of an otter and muskrat? Did you know an opossum and a possum aren’t the same animal?”

If you work up a mammal-sized appetite, you’re in luck. Buddy Mac’s Eat and Run Food Truck will be on site serving a variety of mac and cheese dishes, burgers and hot dogs.

The event is designed as a fun outing with a larger message, Gabriel said.

“We hope that attendees will leave with a better understanding of how amazing our local mammals are, their importance in the balance of our ecosystems and how to protect the habitat they need to survive.”

To bone up on your mammal knowledge before Mammal Madness, check out this Q&A interview with famous paleontologist Steve Brusatte on the rise of mammals after dinosaurs became extinct.