Who Knows What Animals May be Lurking at the Library

Few animals come to mind when you think of a library, save perhaps a bookworm.

On Wednesday, Aug. 24, that will change.

From 11 a.m. to noon, the Eyes of the Wild Center from Washington, N.J., will travel to the East Brunswick Public Library to present "One World, Many Animals." The themed presentation was developed by the center’s founder, Travis Gale, to mesh with the NJ Library Summer Reading theme for 2011, "One World, Many Stories”.

The event is sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

And the presentation features a great deal more than simply experts telling children and their parents about a few wild animals.

“Wallaby; fennec fox; flying squirrel; possum; hedgehog; ferret; guinea pig; African crested or prehensile tailed porcupine; degu; Australian sugar glider; Patagonian cavy; skunk; several species of rabbit; coatimundi; chinchilla; dove; quail; conure; umbrella cockatoo; blue and gold macaw; severe macaw; rats; chickens,” says Pam Guzzi, Eyes of the Wild’s Office Manager, when asked to name some of the animals who may appear in one of the center’s presentations. “We also have a pot bellied pig who is really neat and does a few tricks but he cannot always travel.”

The Eyes of the Wild Center may present this traveling menagerie in various educational programs, but they are primarily a year round, indoor, wildlife adventure center. They are not generally open to walk-ins, and devote most of their operating hours to scheduled group events. 

You’d imagine it is difficult to locate animals to reside at an indoor wildlife adventure center in the middle of New Jersey. But it’s not the case.

“About 85 to 90 percent of our animals are rescues, some were already at the facility when Travis purchased it,” Guzzi says. “We get them from people who no longer want or can no longer care for their animals. Also injured and abused animals, someone reports them and they come to us; confiscated animals, from someone trying to keep an animal as a pet in New Jersey that is illegal like alligators, skunks, foxes, coatimundis, and so on; displaced wildlife, animals found outside their natural habitats; and also Travis knows a gentleman with a farm who breeds some animals for zoos.”

Even with all these various ways animals can reach their doors, Guzzi still runs into the occasional impossible request.  “We recently had a request for a lion cub and I once had a request for an elephant and a giraffe,” she says.

While lions, elephants, and giraffes may not be in store for those who attend the East Brunswick program (Guzzi believes this is the center’s first appearance at the East Brunswick Public Library), there will be no shortage of wonders to behold.

“Our shows last about 45 minutes to an hour,” said Guzzi, “and we bring about five or six of our mammals or birds with us, including some exotic and touchable animals. We discuss many different topics including: habitats; survival techniques; behaviors; protecting wildlife and the environment; who we are and how we get our animals, and doing research before getting a pet.

“The animals are brought in in their covered travel carriers, adding to the excitement of what might be appearing next and we show each one individually, allowing time for a few questions and touching an animal or two. The show is very fun, funny and entertaining. We find that children learn best through entertainment, as they are having so much fun, they don't realize they are actually learning some very valuable information! The shows also allow us to touch on some of the many different types of ways children learn, through seeing, hearing, touching, and doing.”

For more about the Eyes of the Wild Center, visit them online at www.eyeswild.com.