Kids check out exotic animals at Palatine library

Blotus, Minkus and Twitch made themselves right at home Monday among the children visiting the Palatine Public Library during winter break from school.

Characters from a "Harry Potter" book? No, though the names might fit in at Hogwarts.

Instead, the trio - a giant African bullfrog, a weasel and a coati-mundi - were among the animals mixing with kids during a special event hosted by the library and Antioch-based AnimalQuest.

"We have a little bit of everything," said Scott Reedy of AnimalQuest. "We're going to teach these kids about critters and increase their appreciation for animals and making good decisions when thinking about getting a pet."

More than 180 children and their parents signed up to pet and get up close looks at the exotic creatures. Other animals included a giant Flemish rabbit, an African pygmy hedgehog, an albino Burmese python and a tortoise.