By Isabell Marcina
Hometown Weekly Staff
School vacation week means kids and parents alike are looking for something to do. Thankfully, Westwood Public Library hosted Matt Gabriel from Wildlife Wonders Animal Show to bring a little exotic animal excitement to the week.
After 20 years caring for and showing his exotic rescue animals, Gabriel aims to educate and entertain children and adults alike with an engaging presentation and some hands-on experiences.
Gabriel brought six animals with him to the library and started with something “crazy” to try and scare the parents. Drago, a black and white tegu, is a large lizard that Gabriel had over his shoulder like it was nothing!
From Argentina, Drago was shown around the room while smelling everything with his tongue and even settled down to rest on a boy’s lap. In a fun surprise, the boy even went home with some shed skin from Drago’s foot.
Next, was a creature that sent a few parents running from the room, Angela the Chilean rose hair tarantula. Gabriel said she is the friendliest of all his tarantulas but didn’t bring her out of the box for her own safety.
The kids asked some questions about her age, 18, but Gabriel said she could live 25 to 30 years. The kids also asked if tarantulas have fangs and venom. She does have venom, but it can’t hurt humans, so she uses it on her food instead.
Gabriel brought out a creature that he is one of the only people in the state licensed to care for, and was a bit timid, Boo the kinkajou. Also called honey bears, Boo certainly lived up to that by devouring the applesauce brought out for him. Either way, this adorable mammal is sadly common in illegal pet rings, but when they get out people like Gabriel give them good chances at a nice life.
Next up was a giant African millipede. She was about the size of the palm of a hand, but he said she could grow up to a whole foot! She stayed curled up for the most part, but it gave the kids a chance to check out the thousands of legs on her body.
“Scuba Steve” made an appearance too! An 18-year-old American alligator, Steve’s growth was stunted by a previous owner, so he remained a small size. Gabriel shared that alligators don’t have sharp teeth, their real power is in their jaw, so his mouth has to stay taped shut outside home, but the kids still gathered in wonder to watch him.
The last animal everyone got a chance to pet was Captain Crunch, the albino Burmese python. Gabriel taught them that she was a constrictor snake, so she relied on squeezing rather than fangs to get her food. But it also made the kids that held her feel like they were hugged by a snake.
Gabriel brought an engaging, educational show about exotic creatures that had kids curious to learn as much as they could and brought some animals into a new light for them. It was truly a day of wonders.
