Feeding a giant, oversized guinea pig might not have been on my weekend bingo card, but life is full of strange, fuzzy surprises. There is something deeply life-affirming about sitting face-to-face with an exotic animal that seems just as curious about your existence as you are about its giant, square nose.
Along a dusty road in Marana, Arizona, there is a place where the world’s largest rodents will happily eat out of your hand while a warthog trots nearby and a kangaroo eyes you with mild suspicion.
This privately owned ranch offers guided, hands-on animal encounters that put you face-to-snout with some of the most fascinating creatures on the planet. I visited on a warm Arizona afternoon and left completely charmed, a little muddy, and already planning my return trip…