-=MAPLE GALAXY=-

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mper. All of the animals are in clean cages separated by wide paved roads. In the next few years these enclosures will resemble the animals' natural habitats as Sammut plans to turn the compound into a zoo. "I've started doing my homework," he says, "and visited my first zoo ever last year in Fresno."Visitors also can meet and greet the elephants, and even feed them a snack. The five resident elephants are retired from a circus, carnival and zoo. The oldest, Paula, is 48. We get up close and personal, enough to have some elephant trunk mucus drip onto our hands. Riding a high from the experience helps me get over the ick factor. Plus there is plenty of hand sanitizer for before -- hey, the elephants don't want to catch any of our cooties, either! -- and after feeding. Other special tours and programs are available, including summer sleepovers for kids; all have fees attached to them that help raise money to support this little empire for animals. After feeding the elephants, we check into an authentic safari tent. Although designed to protect guests from the elements and containing a space heater, we leave on most of our outer clothing while indoors on this cold day. The tent's big cat decor is fun, the bathroom with a simple shower enclosure is fu