By Julia Beauregard
Hometown Weekly Editor
During winter break, Sherborn children were invited to attend the Animal Adventures program hosted by the Sherborn Library. According to their website, “Animal Adventures is an exotic animal rescue founded by Ed and Brenda Laquidara… Ed and Brenda formed Animal Adventures with the mission to provide a home to unwanted and unable to be cared for animals, while educating the public about these animals.” Little ones were excited to learn about the various exotic animals that had traveled to Sherborn to visit with them as the room buzzed with anticipation.
After introducing themselves, the host of the afternoon explained to all of the children in attendance that all of these animals were either injured in the wild and needed rehabilitation or they were formerly pets. She went on to state that once these animals had been properly rehabilitated and socialized, “we get to bring them to places like this so you can learn about them, which is pretty exciting!” All of the animals, due to their familiarity with humans, were able to be pet. “Only pet on the back, we’re going to stay away from mouth and teeth,” the animal handler explained to the children.
The children were able to learn about and engage with a variety of animals including: a chinchilla, a tortoise, a guinea pig, a gecko, a ferret, a bearded dragon, a Burmese python, and finally an alligator. The children delighted in learning various facts about the species, engaging in a question and answer format, and learning the individual stories of each animal to discover how they had been acquired by the rehabilitation program.
After each animal was presented, another staff member ventured around the room, allowing the children to touch and pet all of these creatures. It was a wonderful way for children to get up close and personal with each of these critters.
This program offered a wonderful opportunity for local children to be exposed to creatures that they may not interact with otherwise. It was a great learning experience for all who attended to learn facts about different species, learn about animal rehabilitation, and understand proper interactions with wildlife.
For more information on programs offered by the Sherborn Library, please visit their website: https://sherbornlibrary.org/calendar
