I am so excited!!! Tonight I am going to have the opportunity to meet Jane Goodall!!!! What an honor. She is the world's leading Primatologist who is known for her 45 year study of Chimpanzee social and family interactions in Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania. This incredible lady travels 300 days out of the year and speaks to audiences worldwide. I was so excited that our friends at Zoo Boise brought her to our Quest Arena. I promise to most more pics ASAP.
Disney's Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida places #9 on my list of the "Top Ten Places You Should Visit This Summer." Please don't mind the old pic (I was 17)! Here I am standing in front of Animal Kingdom's icon "The Tree of Life." This artificial tree's trunk is made up of 325 carved images of animals! 
Look at these gorgeous Nile Hippos!!!! This was taken during the Kilimanjaro Safaris. This multi-species exhibit is so incredibly naturalistic that you will NOT see a single bar or fence separating you and your safari truck. Disney uses secret hidden barriers to keep all the animals safe, secure, and happy. In this attraction you literally drive through a river full of hippos and crocodiles. In the water there are hidden barriers to keep the crocodiles and hippos at bay!
It wouldn't be Disney if I didn't post a pic of riding on one of their attractions. Dinosaur is one of Disney's main draws and for good reason...this ride is CRAZY!!! I'm the scared one in the green (first row).
Walk down the "Maharajah Jungle Trek" and you will come across giant fruit bats (above), tigers, and Komodo Dragons!
Ok. I know this pic looks out of place but take a close look. These towers (which are located in their Asian Village) are connected with ropes to allow gibbons (apes) the ability to swing from tower to tower over the village. What freedom!
If you don't know...this is a Gibbon. (I know I've posted this pic a MILLION times...just can't get enough of it)!
Jack Hanna's Columbus Zoo and Aquarium makes my list at #10 for the Top 10 places you should visit this summer. This amazing zoo is home to thousands of species, visually stunning exhibits, and the LARGEST snake in Captivity! Woohoo!!!
This is the LARGEST snake in the country on exhibit at 24 feet long and 300 pounds!!! She is a Reticulated Python properly named "Fluffy." This snake is responsible for bringing the zoo's attendance to 1.53 million last summer. What a draw!
Here I am on top of an "American Crocodile" at the zoo's Manatee Coast exhibit. The exhibit construction was featured on Animal Planet's "Ultimate Zoo."
This is for all of you mammal people out there! The zoo has a A LOT of different mammalian species, including the Southern White Rhino!
One of my favorites! The Komodo Dragon. I have seen plenty dragons at various zoos across the country BUT the Columbus Zoo's Komodo exhibit takes the cake for being the very best. It features a HUGE outdoor yard complete with waterfalls, trees, and grass hills. Did I mention their huge indoor exhibit???
My all-time favorite! The American Alligator. This young female was basking just outside the zoo's Reptile House! Don't you just want to kiss her on the lips?!!!
A MEXICAN REDKNEE TARANTULA named "Petey!"
Thanks for all your e-mails trying to guess what our newest ambassador is. We are SO excited to welcome our new eight-legged friend to our team. Mexican Redknee Tarantulas live on the Pacific side of Mexico in deserts and scrub lands. They reach lengths of up to 5.5 inches and (females) can live to be over 30 years old! They were one of the first tarantula species to be welcomed into the pet trade because of their beautiful colors and calm personalities. "Petey" was captive bred in the United States. She lived with none other than my Aunt Pam for over 5 years before landing a permanent home at the reserve. She even landed her first TV appearance on NBC this month (airs April 18th).
Thanks for all of your continued support AND stay tuned to see our newest Animal Ambassador LIVE in action!
Sundays are usually are master cleaning days. That means I am in our two facilities for quite some time. This is the time I enjoy...matter of fact a lot of reptile owners favor cleaning. It gives them time to interact with their animals and see their certain behaviors. I usually let Scooter out during these times. He lives upstairs in a custom built exhibit (like a loft) that overlooks the reptile building.He LOVES to jump down and visit our Solomon Island Skink named Irwin! Look at how they are both checking each other out! They are both so fascinated by each other. Irwin usually is in hiding during the day (being nocturnal) but it seems that looking at Scooter is a lot more important than sleeping!