Assistant Education Director at Forest Park Zoo, Teralyn LaChance, fields questions from children about “Monster,” a tegu lizard, at the Huntington Public Library Saturday. (Photo by Amy Porter)
On Saturday morning children were treated to a Forest Park “Zoo on the Go” presentation at the Huntington Public Library.
Forest Park Zoo Assistant Education Director Teralyn LaChance brought a macaw, a tegu lizard, a sulcatta tortoise, baby lion-head rabbits and a skunk, allowing the children to touch them carefully after she taught them about each one.
LaChance said many of the animals at the zoo are donated by private owners, once they grow too large to keep at home. For example, the tegu, whose name is “Monster,” can grow three to four feet long, and require his own room.
LaChance said they receive other animals at the zoo that have been illegally captured, such as the skunk “Pepé Le Pew.” Other animals, like the baby rabbits, are born at the zoo. Forest Park Zoo does not rehabilitate and release animals into the wild.
The library was filled to capacity.
“We didn’t expect this many. Next time we’ll have two sessions,” said Huntington Public Library Director Margaret Nareau, about the crowd.
“This is why we need a new library,” she added.
