Furry Tails and Fairy Tales

Critters like Rupee the porcupine and Gunther, the Nigerian dwarf goat, were just two of the many animals on stage at the at at Saturday.

The zoo’s exotic animals were transformed into actors as they took to the stage in fractured fairy tales and a red carpet gala. Onlookers, young and old alike, reacted with laughter and applause as the animals performed in their respective theaters.

In the Eye-to-Eye Theater, animals walked the red carpet with hosts Adam Gilbert and Meg Marshall, both first year students in the Exotic Animal Training Program. Among the crowd favorites were Rupee; Gunther, who waved good-bye to the crowd; Kiley, a military macaw; and Hollywood, the Amazon parrot, who talked to the crowd.

“Kiley is an affectionate bird from South America,” said Gilbert. “And Gunther is a really friendly guy.”

In this theater, kids could get up close and personal with the animals, hence the name Eye-to-Eye.

Down the path from the Eye-to-Eye Theater, guests were entertained with “Once Upon a Twisted Tail,” a creative remake of favorite fairy tales, which included a cast of characters such as owls, snakes, coyotes, birds, pigs, llamas, goats, baboons, dogs and even a “unicorn.”

But theater work wasn’t the only way for guests to be entertained. Several booths lined the walkway with interesting displays. One such booth featured Madagascar hissing cockroaches. Yes, this was a kid pleaser for sure.

“The cockroaches were my favorite,” said 5-year-old Nicholas Davila. “They feel like slime.” His 8-year-old sister Olivia agreed, “They were definitely my favorite too.”

There was also a Creature Feature arena where wildlife and other organizations showcased their animals. On this particular day, the K-9 unit from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department featured a three-year-old, German Shepherd named Rene.

Other activities included Robin Hood archery where kids could shoot water balloons and a fun zone for face painting and game playing. In addition, animal-related gifts and crafts were sold from vendors, and animal-related organizations such as Concerned People for Animals were available to share information.

If that wasn’t enough, guests could stroll through the animal cages and be entertained by the sound of the monkeys, the enormity of the water buffalo, the beautiful butterfly showcase, and many other zoo creatures. VIP tours were also available, which included a visit to the back areas of the zoo.

This entire event is produced by the students in the teaching zoo’s Exotic Animal Training and Management Program. It is the largest fundraiser of the year for the program and involves the student trainers and approximately 130 exotic zoo animals.

Ashley Kirkpatrick, a first-year student who was hosting the Madagascar hissing cockroach exhibit, explained that each student in the training program works with a variety of animals during their coursework.

“Each student is assigned a rotating schedule of animals from every category—herbivore, carnivore, bird, and primate—as part of their training,” she said.

Lively animal entertainment and terrific kid fun was what this event was all about. It was a treat for the eyes, ears and nose!

The Spring Spectacular continues every weekend through April 10. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is $5 for kids and seniors and $10 for adults.

Be sure to visit Patch Thursday afternoon for a full gallery of photos from the event!