The thought of a little girl falling asleep with a baby wooly mammoth, an animal that went extinct 10,000 years ago, over the traditional bear or doll really appeals to me. As a society we've reached a better understanding about our impact on the environment around us and programs such as Planet Earth and BBC Life have given use a unique perspective on the true diversity of animals that exist outside of the usual lions, tigers, and bears we know so well. Hansa International is a company that specializes in making realistic plush animals and most specifically, in featuring the exotic species the other companies ignore. 2009 is the first year their products have been made available in Canada and since I first met with them in January, I've watched them make their way into toy stores and science shops across the country.

Baby Wooly Mammoth, available at the Royal Ontario Museum Store 

Baby Beavers

Jack Rabbit 

Ground squirrels (great for taking photos with) 

Every animal is hand-crafted and contains an educational tag. Nothing is machine stamped, and the fur and details are designed to match the real patterns in nature. For their first year on the market, Canadian retailers played it safe and chose to go with selections from their Arctic and Woodland series, thus reflecting the animals we have in our own country and so the ones we Canadians are most familiar with. Next year the company will open its first Canadian distribution centre and hopefully store will expand to include their endangered animals species (which is what first drew me to the toys in the first place).  

Tarsier, part of the woodland catalog 

Large Polar Bear, from the arctic catalog 

The Hansa collection includes large-sized animals, including ones that can be ridden and will support up to 250 lbs of weight.  

Baby Penguin Chick 

HOT TIP:  If you're looking for a unique gift check out the store at your local museum, zoo, or art gallery. These institutions are no longer limited to the cheap souvenier trinkets of past decades, many hire staff who make it their mission to seek out quality educational toys and collectibles. If you haven't been in one lately, you'll be in for a shock. 

Here's a list of all the stores that carry the Hansa plush animals:

West of the Moon Kids Store .. Salt Spring Island

Dandilion Kids … Vancouver and Port Moody

Plush Animal Planet … Grand Forks

ALBERTA

Royal Alberta Museum … Edmonton

ONTARIO

Simply Cottage … Bracebridge

Logosland .. Hwy 17 .. Cobden

Polar Bear Habitat … Cochrane

The Old Palmer House … Dwight

Gullivers Book Store … North Bay

The Owl and the Pussy Cat … Niagara on the Lake

Mrs Tiggy Winkles .. ( all Locations ) … Ottawa

Toys R Us .. Yonge / Eglinton …. Toronto

Toys R Us .. Markville Mall .. Markville

Toy Terminal .. Queen’s Quay .West . Toronto

Mastermind Stores .. Toronto ( 6 locations ) , Oakville , Mississauga , Aurora , Pickering

Toronto Zoo .. Toronto

Royal Ontario Museum .. Toronto

Augustino Boutique , Cumberland St. … Toronto

Tadpole Childrens Shoppe … Waterloo

QUEBEC

Le Tambourin , jeux et passe-temps .. Laval , St Bruno , Brossard , Longueuil

Hallmark .. 977 Ste Catherine Ouest … Montreal

Boutique des Museums .. Le Biodome … Montreal

Benjo …. Quebec

Jouets K.I.D. Toys … Quebec