Sugarplum Farm’s rescue and petting zoo

You know a cow is happy when she dances for you!

On a beautiful plateau overlooking California’s wine country, you will find the site of the Sugarplum Farm in Temecula. It’s a haven for many rescued animals, among other things.
Lani, our AirBnB host, gave us a tour and introduced us to the animals. She and her husband work hard at this labor of love, and have been doing it for more than five years.
Have you ever seen a Miniature Painted Pig, or “Juliana Pig”? Lani named the one we met here Daisy Athena. Juliana pigs have been bred to co-exist with humans, so most have a very pleasant temperament. They grow to only 15 to 17 inches in height and those who have raised them as family pets report nothing but positive experiences with them.

Noel, the retired Disney Star as Lani tells us, is an alpaca. Don’t confuse him with a llama, as many people do. Alpacas are usually quite a bit smaller than llamas. They are similar though, and can even be successfully crossbred. Alpacas can sometimes be aggressive, but they can also be very gentle, intelligent, and extremely observant. For the most part, alpacas are very quiet.

We met our first pygmy goat, Christmas Snow. Pygmy goats are small, but hardy and very adaptable. They are intelligent and friendly, and eager to interact with both adults and children, making them a favorite at petting zoos. They have personality, but are playful and docile.

Lana explained that it all started with ducks! She rescued ducks first, and soon expanded to all the species you see here. Those ducks were pretty noisy! And it’s interesting to note that with most breeds of ducks, it’s the female doing the squawking! . In fact, some male ducks are virtually silent!

The cows we met were interesting. I had never heard of a zebu, which is sometimes known as humped cattle. It’s is a species of domestic cattle from India. Zebu have a fatty hump on their shoulders, and sometimes drooping ears. They are well adapted to withstanding high temperatures, and are farmed throughout tropical countries. Zebu are used as riding animals, dairy cattle, and beef cattle.

Our Sugarplum Zoo tour ended with Lani telling us they are “motivated by connection, compassion, and a commitment to sharing a meaningful bond with everyone who can benefit from time spent with an animal.”