Arts & Entertainment
Wild Animals Visit Calabasas Library
Children get up close with a half-a-dozen animals from around the globe.
More than 200 people turned up at Thursday for a chance to see unusual animals from as far Africa and as close as their backyard as part of the Summer Reading Program.
A chameleon, a Great Horned Owl, a Fennec Fox, a non-venomous gopher snake and a squirrel monkey were showcased for families by Beverly Critcher and Kiana Cornelius of Wildlife Experience, a nonprofit organization. However, the star of the show may have been Punk the Skunk.
As a baby, the skunk was found with four other siblings who were all dead. The woman who found the skunk brought the animal to a veterinarian, who said that the skunk had pneumonia and that she should be put down. Instead, Critcher said the woman brought the skunk to the Wildlife Experience, where the critter now lives.
Find out what's happening in Calabasaswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“All of the animals have different stories,” Critcher said. “We’re not a rehab society, but we do take rescued animals that need homes. We’re kind of a last chance for wildlife and in return, the animal provides education.”
Founded by Critcher in 1999, the Wildlife Experience has educated classrooms throughout Santa Barbara, Ventura and West Los Angeles.