Kids meet both local and exotic animals at library event

Creatures from near and far received an enthusiastic welcome at the Owatonna Public Library.

Kids and families flocked to the library Thursday morning for a special program from Sustainable Safari, meeting animals that could live right in their backyard as well as those hailing from other continents.

Library staff counted over 300 attendees.

Sustainable Safari is a Maplewood-based animal exhibitor that offers traveling educational programs. Thursday’s visit was Sustainable Safari’s first to OPL.

General Manager John Olson introduced kids to five animals, starting with a skunk named Ruckus. Although kids in the audience squealed as soon as they saw the animal’s distinctive white-striped fur emerge from the kennel, Olson assured them Ruckus’s scent glands had been removed. He warned them that skunks in the wild can spray targets up to 10 feet away, and suggested a mix of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and dish soap to get rid of the scent should they ever cross a skunk.

Sneakers the red fox proved less controversial with the crowd, although Olson noted fox urine carries a nasty odor easily mistaken for skunk spray.

Seeing his dark gray hue, several kids in the room identified Sneakers as a baby coyote. Olson explained that — contrary to the species’ name — red foxes come in over 70 color variations. According to him, their bushy white-tipped tails are the best way to recognize them.

Next, Olson introduced the cheekily named Rocky Balboa, a boa constrictor.

“He’s so cute, right?” asked Olson.

He was met with a resounding “NO!”

Unlike the first two animals they met, Rocky’s species hails from South America. Olson told kids boas can gulp down prey larger than themselves, like a person swallowing a watermelon whole. Rocky could double his current size over his lifetime, but Olson told the kids they have nothing to worry about from him — although meeting a green anaconda or reticulated python may not go so well for them.

Olson brought out another common North American animal, a Virginia opossum named Ben, and offered a couple corrections about the much-maligned species. He drew a distinction between opossums and possums, an animal native to Australia and other Pacific islands. Contrary to popular perception, Olson said opossums are not major carriers of disease. They’re actually resistant to rabies thanks to having a lower body temperature than most mammals. Olson said an opossum can consume 3,000 to 5,000 wood ticks in a single season, slowing the spread of Lyme disease.

Olson promised to save the cutest animal for last and, judging by his audience’s reactions, he delivered.

The final animal was a tiny fennec fox, native to the deserts of North Africa. Sustainable Safari staff named her Yoda, due to her oversized ears and her birthday, May 4 — celebrated by many fans as Star Wars Day. Demonstrating her resemblance to the beloved character, Olson pointed to a Yoda t-shirt worn by a kid in the audience.

Although she’s just a few months old, Yoda is nearly full-grown. Her species typically weighs one to three pounds. Their massive ears allow them to shed body heat in their native sun-baked habitat, and detect the sounds of bugs crawling in the sand. Sustainable Safari has another fennec fox in its care named Chewbacca.

Oliver Connelly, 9, said Yoda was his favorite animal in the program, describing her as “really cute.” He liked every animal, even the snake, and was just relieved there weren’t any spiders included.

His twin brother Eddie, however, was thoroughly charmed by Ruckus.

“I just like skunks,” he said.

OPL’s next animal program is coming July 25, with a visit from the International Owl Center.