News
KIDFEST: Warm-blooded kids meet cold-blooded creatures
By JUSTIN SCHOENBERGER
Index Journal
June 27, 2010
|
|
Greenwood, SC- Someone let snakes, alligators and tortoises inside the Federal Building Courtyard in Uptown Greenwood Saturday morning. But don’t worry — they were kept well under control by Roark Ferguson, a professional handler whose informative exhibit seemed more fun than anything to the50 or so children and adults who watched. Ferguson, standing onstage in the courtyard, brought several cohorts a long with him from Charleston: a Burmese Python longer than five children holding it, a tortoise the size of an infant and a small alligator, whose mouth was wrapped shut. |
“We want alligators to think people are scary, fire-breathing dragons,” he said during one of several instances he reminded children not to feed wild animals or grab snakes when they find them. “That way, they’ll stay away from us.” He said there’s no record of anyone ever being killed by an alligator in South Carolina. “But we have had a couple of people lose their arms,” he said. “Generally, alligators are not aggressive toward people. “However, if you trip on one, it will bite you.” Of course, it was all right for youngsters to see and touch the gator he brought — same for the lengthy snakes and dark-colored tortoise. “I think it was pretty cool because you got to touch the animals,” Elizabeth Sell, 11, said. Her grandmother, Joan Kirby, also enjoyed the slithering, crawling spectacle. “Anything as far as animals — the children love it,” Kirby said. “They love animals, and that makes for a great variety at the festival. “Elizabeth and I really like animals; any type of animals ...” Almost. “I just don’t like snakes,” Elizabeth chimed in.
|