ANIMAL ACTION; SHOW SPOTLIGHTS TRICKS, TALENTS OF CRITTERS AT FAIR.Byline: John Huddy Daily News Staff Writer Holly Lowas had her Mojo working - her capuchin monkey capuchin monkey one of the New World monkeys used commonly as a laboratory primate. Gregarious, arboreal and diurnal, they are popular pets and weigh up to 10 lb. Called also Cebus spp., ringtail or organ-grinder monkey. , Mojo, that is. Wide-eyed animal lovers sitting in for the Exotic Animal Encounter show at the Ventura County Fair on Wednesday were entertained by two parrots, a screeching macaw macaw: see parrot. macaw Any of about 18 species of large tropical New World parrots (subfamily Psittacinae) with very long tails and big sickle-shaped beaks. Macaws eat fruits and nuts. , a tarantula tarantula (tərăn`chələ), name applied chiefly to several species of the large, hairy spiders of the families Theraphosidae and Dipluridae of North and South America. The body of a tarantula may be as much as 3 in. (7. named Fluffy and a nine-foot albino albino (ălbī`nō) [Port.,=white], animal or plant lacking normal pigmentation. The absence of pigment is observed in the body covering (skin, hair, and feathers) and in the iris of the eye. Burmese python The Burmese Python (Python molurus bivittatus) is the larger subspecies of the Indian Python and one of the 6 biggest snakes in the world, native to rain forest areas of Southeast Asia. , among others. Mojo, being a monkey, was one of the more animated creatures, sticking out Adj. 1. sticking out - extending out above or beyond a surface or boundary; "the jutting limb of a tree"; "massive projected buttresses"; "his protruding ribs"; "a pile of boards sticking over the end of his truck" his tongue, grinning and otherwise playing for the crowd. ``We've had good reactions from people who watch the show,'' said Lowas, an animal trainer for the show. ``Even if the people don't like the animals, they're still being entertained.'' Isaac Arrizon enjoyed the largest of the animals - the Burmese python. ``I've had snakes before, so I wasn't nervous around the python,'' said the 16-year-old Arrizon, who held the slithering slith·er v. slith·ered, slith·er·ing, slith·ers v.intr. 1. To glide or slide like a reptile. See Synonyms at slide. 2. To walk with a sliding or shuffling gait. 3. snake in his arms, amid gasps from nervous onlookers. The albino Burmese python, a native of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, region of Asia (1990 est. pop. 442,500,000), c.1,740,000 sq mi (4,506,600 sq km), bounded roughly by the Indian subcontinent on the west, China on the north, and the Pacific Ocean on the east. , can reach lengths in excess of 16 feet, weighing as much as 250 pounds, said Lowas, fearless as she gripped the yellow and white snake White Snake may refer to:
Other animals in the show, like Conrad the macaw, who was busy playing basketball for the children and parents in attendance, can live as long as 80 to 100 years. The Exotic Animal Encounter was staged in Porker porker the class of pig judged to be most suitable for conversion to pork. The target age and weight vary too much between localities to make a general statement worthwhile. Flats, replacing the pig races held last year, fair officials said. Lowas, a Sacramento native who studied at Moorpark College's Exotic Animal Training and Management program for two years, began working as a trainer for San Diego-based Kobert Animal Productions a little over a year ago. ``To successfully work with animals, you need to know how to work around them,'' said Lowas, who has always been an animal lover. ``It's like working with kids - you need to know how to read their behavior.'' Lowas' apprentice, 17-year-old Ojai resident Dana Dougherty, agreed. ``I've always loved animals - the job is easy for me because it's fun,'' she said. As an animal trainer, Lowas explained that there is a good deal of work involved, particularly cleaning, feeding and watering animals, most of which require constant attention and care. And she said that isn't even the hardest part of being a trainer. ``The hardest part of the job is when the audience doesn't respond the way you want them too,'' she said. ``Working with the animals is the easiest part of the job, by far.'' Judging by the smiles on the faces of audience members, Lowas and Dougherty didn't seem to have much of a problem getting people interested - like Sean and Michael Parizo, two cousins who have been coming to every show for the past three days. ``This is my favorite part of the fair,'' said 10-year-old Sean, who said his favorite animals were the monkey and the parrots. ``I'd like to train animals too when I get older.'' CAPTION(S): 4 Photos PHOTO (1--Color in Conejo Edition only) (Ran in Conejo and Simi Edition only) Conrad the macaw slam-dunks a basketball at the Ventura County Fair. (2--Color in Conejo Edition only) Holly Lowas holds Mojo, a capuchin monkey that performs in the Exotic Animal Encounter show. (3--Color in Conejo Edition only) (Ran in Conejo and Simi Edition only) Kim Scott of Malibu nervously prepares to pet an African hedgehog named Mrs. Prickles on Wednesday at the fair. (4) (Ran in Conejo Edition only) Ventura County Fair visitors hold Lucille, a Burmese albino python. The native of Southeast Asia is part of an exotic animal show at the fair. Tina Gerson/Daily News |
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