A menagerie of creatures - including ravens, coyotes, and snakes - has taken up residence at The Fells Historic Site in Newbury.

There is nothing to fear, though. The new additions are all part of the third biannual Animal Attractions sculptural exhibit at The Fells.

The exhibit, which runs through Oct. 12, includes nearly 40 sculptured creatures, from stingrays and coyotes to cats and dogs. The animals are found throughout the grounds of The Fells, the historic estate and garden site in Newbury. Part of the sheer delight of the exhibit is the placement of the sculptured animals: They are set throughout the beautifully maintained lawns, gardens and ponds of the property, whimsical and ready to be discovered by visitors taking in the grounds.

And their placement is deliberate: The pair of ravens created by Chris Williams stand atop a pond and garden like intimidating guards. Dorothy Frankel's "Happy Dog," a canine on his back in what appears to be post-belly-rub bliss, sits just across from Frankel's cat sculpture. The cat appears to be looking at the dog with more than a bit of disdain for his very public rapture.

Down by the pond, Thomas Berger's seal sits contentedly, as Berger's sea turtle seems caught in mid-step nearby.

The Fells - that's a Scottish term for rocky pastures - began its life in the 1890s as a summer retreat for John Milton Hay, who served as private secretary to Abraham Lincoln and confidante to other political notables. Hay's son Clarence was an archeologist, and he began to cultivate the property's extensive gardens. In turn, Clarence's son John grew up to be a famed naturalist, and his lifelong passions for nature and horticulture helped to grow and preserve The Fells.

The site - initially about 164 acres - was deeded to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by Clarence Hay's

widow Alice, and in 1972 the area became known as the John Hay National Wildlife Refuge. Since that time, the breadth and management of the property have evolved. Currently, The Fells - which is on the National Register of Historic Places - is a nonprofit managed by The Friends of The Fells. The property now includes 727 protected natural acres.

The Fells offers numerous walking paths and a 22-room colonial home for touring, as well as nature programs and art exhibits such as Animal Attractions.

Several fish-themed works by Fritz Cass are displayed. His "Blue Claw Crab" work on panel seems to improbably capture the crab in movement. Cass's "Guard Crab," completed in something of a cut-out format, is recognizable yet could also be taken for an inkblot from a Rorschach Test.

Thomas Berger's "Sluggish Snail" keeps himself right near the top of the lovely garden; once a viewer sees the scene from the snail's point of view, it is clear to see why he is reluctant to move on anywhere else.

Arlene Slavin's snake is a framed and slightly abstract piece set on the side of the property's Main House; the figure seems just about to insinuate himself right through the wall. Slavin's works are also featured in the gallery room inside the Main House. Her piece "Perfect Jump" perfectly depicts the movement of a horse making his way over a hurdle.

The gallery in the Main House also offers some more deeply themed works. Anne Huibregtse's "Global Warming" shows several cows gathered in a circle around an empty trough. Nancy Diefenbach's work "Companion" seems to illustrate the bond among all creatures with a mother-and-child scene in which the mother is human and the child is not. Diefenbach is a regular exhibitor at the annual Sculpture Garden at Concord's Mill Brook Gallery.

Animal Attractions is curated by Wilmot artist Eric Johnson, a renowned sculptor and exhibition designer. No stranger to the wedding of art and animals, Johnson and his wife Bridget LeRoy are behind the current Gnus of New London project that has resulted in decorated wildebeests happily stationed throughout the streets of New London.

Most of the beasts in Animal Attractions seem friendly enough - but if you're visiting, you may want to watch out for Jill Nooney's oversized and aptly named "Red-Eyed Bug." Nooney's thankfully larger-than-life bug stands at the side of the narrow roadway approaching the Main House. And he looks a little hungry.

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