Wildlife educators engage with kids
Andrews – Kids of all ages got a chance to get up close and personal with some very wild creatures during the kickoff of the Nantahala Regional Libraries’ Summer Programs for Children.
These programs consist of weekly and monthly events at each branch. The 2024 summer theme is “Adventure Begins At Your Library.”
Over four days, North Georgia Wildlife Park made their second trek to western North Carolina, bringing live, exotic animals to each of the region’s four libraries for differently themed interactive programs.
Tom Bennett, director and owner of the park, has 25 years of experience with exotic animals stemming from his previous stints as an outdoor and experiential leadership teacher. That morphed into his creating the rehabilitation and wildlife center in Cleveland, Ga.
“We started rescuing reptiles, and it grew from there,” Bennett said of the operation. It has grown from a handful of animals and a skeleton crew to housing 200-400 animals with 45 employees.
While the park is open to the public for tours and field trips, they visit schools during regular academic years. Bennett said the “library visits are the most fun visits” because they are spontaneous groups that visit with no expectations, and it’s a better way to engage with the public on their turf.
The program at the Andrews Public Library was titled “Out of Africa” to riff on the wildly popular 1980s movie based on Isak Dinesen’s memoir of the same name. Bennett brought five exotic animals to show the rapt audiences.
First up was “Specks,” a spectacled owl, a species of South American owl that is similar to African species. While Bennett paraded Specks on his arm throughout the room, which was filled to capacity with both kids and adults, he warned the crowd not to try to touch Specks, even though many hands longed to feel the soft feathers.
Next was “A-Quill-A,” a spiny African hedgehog, although the spines used for protection from predators stayed smooth and A-Quill-A remained very pettable. Many of the kids cried “Sonic,” referencing the popular hedgehog of video games.
Leo the Leopard Tortoise, at only 4 years old, seemed wise beyond his years. Bennett said Leo would eventually grow to be 40 pounds, while explaining that he loves to eat berries, fruits and grasses.
Jeremiah, an African bullfrog, was up next, with anxious hands touching his delicate skin as Bennett moved through the crowd. Grandparents and parents got the reference to Three Dog Night’s song “Joy to the World.”
Next up in this lineup was “Hugger,” a ball python snake that most everyone would want to avoid in the wild. However, everyone was happy to touch him once he was amply clamped to Bennett.
Lastly, Bennett brought out Priscilla the Capuchin monkey, at 33 years the oldest animal with them. Priscilla was not for petting, as she is intensely bonded to Bennett.
Bennett included remarks about how each animal lives in the wild and in captivity, then took several questions from the inquisitive crowd. He was impressed that several children knew the correct term for a gathering of Priscilla’s kind, which is a “troupe.”
Youth services librarian Bridget Wilson said a total of 700 people attended each 45-minute program at the four library branches. Andrews’ total attendance was 170 for the four allotted slots.
The other branches included themes of Rain Forest Adventure in Murphy, The Australian Outback at Moss Memorial in Hayesville and Wild America for the Robbinsville branch. More “Adventure Begins At Your Library” programs are scheduled for youth throughout the summer and can be found online.
Details: Visit northgeorgiazoo.com.