By Jennie Miller
C & G Staff Writer

SOUTHFIELD — “People don’t usually get the chance to be this close to animals like this,” said Roslyn Atwood, standing a few feet from a Bengal/Siberian tiger cub at Northland Center Mall Feb. 15.

“You usually see this type of thing on TV. But here we are, and you can actually hold her if you’d like,” she said of Autumn, a 12-week-old cub.

Atwood, marketing director for Northland Center Mall, welcomed crowds of shoppers to the Premier Animal Attractions Inc. exhibit staged near Macy’s, which features Autumn, weighing in at 18 pounds; Dusty, a baby Fennec fox; Irwin, an 18-month-old red kangaroo; and Baby, a 3-month-old bush baby.

“It’s an awesome attraction,” Atwood said. “I think it’s something everyone can enjoy.”

Rachelle and Andrew Gehringer, the husband and wife duo who run the USDA-licensed and fully-insured Premier Animal Attractions from a ranch just south of Flint, shared a few of their 30-some furry friends with the general public.

“It really is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for some people,” Rachelle Gehringer said, watching as her husband gave Autumn a bottle with a heated formula of protein, yogurt and canned meat.

The animals will be back at the mall Friday, Feb. 22, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 23, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Feb. 24, from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Baby hid under a blanket in her cage to catch some Zs while Dusty curled up in a furry ball and Irwin hopped around in his enclosure, periodically stopping at his food bowl to nibble on some leaves.

Autumn paced back and forth in her cage, emitting what sounded like a mixture of a tiny growl and a kitten-like purr at those who crowded around the exhibit, trying to sneak a peek at the exotic animal. With federal regulations mandating that dangerous animals cannot interact with the public beyond 16 weeks of age, Autumn has just four weeks left of work to do: posing for pictures with the public as they feed her a bottle.

Nichelle Wilson, 11, and her brother, Kenneth Wilson, 13, stepped right up to the plate, eager to get their picture taken with Autumn at a cost of $15 for a 4-by-6 snapshot, or $20 for an 8-by-10.

“It looks so cute,” Nichelle said, craning her head to catch a glimpse of Autumn.

The kids were doing some shopping with their mom, Natasha Ballard of Dearborn Heights, when they happened to pass by the exhibit.

“I’m really happy they got to see this and hold (the tiger),” Ballard said. “They just love animals.”

This is exactly the reaction Atwood was hoping for when she booked Premier Animal Attractions for the gig.

“This is the first time we have had them here, and so far, they are great,” she said. “It’s great for the kids because not only is it fun and exciting, but it’s educational. (The Gehringers) are really good at providing information about the animals.”

Atwood is looking into booking the company for future exhibits, and is thinking about creating an outdoor attraction in the spring, complete with some of the company’s larger animals.

“We do educational programs, fairs and festivals,” Rachelle Gehringer explained of their packed schedule. “It gives (people) a chance to get close to these animals.”

For more information about Premier Animal Attractions, visit www.premieranimalattractions.com.

For more information about Northland Mall, visit www.shopatnorthland.com or call (248) 569-6272.

You can reach Staff Writer Jennie Miller at jmiller@candgnews.com or at (586) 279-1108.