Reptile roadshow draws crowds

Excitement was abound at the Meadow Lake Library yesterday as the Ramblin’ Reptile Roadshow visited the community. There was a crowd waiting to see the spectacle before the show began at 3 p.m.

Eight different snakes, a gecko, and a tortoise named Thomas interacted with families who stopped by.

Shannon Halischuk and her family run a petting zoo and pony rides near Pike Lake, close to Saskatoon. Several years back they decided they wanted to stand out a bit from other petting zoos and stay busy.

“We started about 18 years ago,” she said. “The first reptile we got, my husband brought home a six-foot boa constrictor. I’ve come to love snakes, I’ve come to know so much about them.”

When they got their start, they attended certain events but then decided to take the show on the road.

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“Meadow Lake we’ve been doing for a lot of years. We like it up here,” she said.

Halischuk said it is wonderful to interact with so many different children and their families.

“I love the fact that the kids are so engaged,” she said. “With Thomas our tortoise, it surprises me how many kids know he’s a tortoise versus a turtle. Thomas is the most popular, the kids got to feed him, and he loves the crowds.”

She said it’s great to see the delight and interest the Reptile Roadshow creates with the children.

“I love the look on the kids’ faces,” she said. “It’s something they don’t get to see all that often. They’re just so smart. After the show, you’ll see so many reptile books going out because they want to learn.”

Halischuk said she was ecstatic to see the level of anticipation for the show.

“I messaged my husband to tell him there was a line up,” she said. “The number of kids and adults was awesome to see. So happy we could come again this year.”

kathy.gallant@jpbg.ca  

On Twitter @ReporterKath