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Community Corner

Exotic Animals Invade Mineola Library

Children get to see, hold and learn about different animals from all over the world.

Every summer the hosts a summer reading club that chooses a central focus.

This year, they selected “one world, many stories,” which inspired an invitation to Party Pets, a local animal wrangler to put on a demonstration Monday afternoon.

“Children love animals, so we decided to bring in some that are from around the world for our summer reading kickoff program,” Children’s Librarian Meredith Minkoff said.

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Over the past few years, Party Pets has adopted and rescued many of these creatures and use them for educational purposes, bringing them to Long Island library branches in Wantagh, Merrick, and Baldwin as a way of teaching the children and encouraging them to “always be kind to animals.”

The organization also wants children to learn what kinds are good for keeping as pets and to always wash their hands after coming into contact with them.

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“We do it not only in libraries, but we do it for private occasions as well as school and pet therapy for seniors,” Andre Ricaud, a U.S.D.A. licensed animal exhibitor, said. “Especially with shows like Dora and shows like Diego, these events are very popular with children.”

Ricaud has taken many creatures under his protective eye, including sheep, ducks and ponies. He explained to his audience that owning a pet is a lot of responsibility and requires them to help in feeding and cleaning up after them.

As soon as Ricaud brought the animals out of their cages, children rushed to the front of the room, sitting as close as possible in the hopes of catching a glimpse of an animal they hadn’t seen before. Throughout the demonstration, Ricaud displayed reptiles, amphibians, mammals and arachnids for his audience.

“Not only do the kids get to learn, but the parents appreciate the fact that we teach them responsibility,” Ricaud said. "It’s very educational, and we bring it to their level.”

The animal admirers gasped and cheered when Ricaud showed them chinchillas, one of the biggest hits of the show. Ricaud brought the creatures around the room, telling the gathering of parents and children that they are the softest animal in the world and giving them the chance to feel their fur coats.

In addition, the audience collectively recoiled when Ricaud brought out a large python, but many jumped at the opportunity to come up to the front of the room and hold an actual snake in their hands. Later, more volunteered to let a rose haired tarantula crawl across their fingers.

“This was one of the biggest turnouts we’ve ever gotten for our summer reading kickoffs,” Minkoff said. “We’ve got a lot of positive feedback. The kids really love these animals.”

Before wrapping up his demonstration, Ricaud left his audience with a question of what to do right after they see and hold the animals, responding in unison to “wash your hands.”

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