ANIMAL MANAGEMENT STUDENTS SHOW IT'S TRULY A ZOO OUT THERE.Byline: Holly Edwards Staff Writer Despite the frenzied activity around them, hundreds of animals on display Saturday at Moorpark College Moorpark College is a California-state funded community college located on a 134 acre (542,000 m²) property reclining on a hill in Moorpark, a town in Ventura County, California. appeared oblivious to the excitement. Hanging on the side of his cage, a white-cheeked gibbon gibbon, small ape, genus Hyloblates, found in the forests of SE Asia. The gibbons, including the siamang, are known as the small, or lesser, apes; they are the most highly adapted of the apes to arboreal life. gazed calmly outward as excited children rushed over to the ape and pointed at him. A lion lay on his back, sleeping in the sun, as a child shrieked shriek n. 1. A shrill, often frantic cry. 2. A sound suggestive of such a cry. v. shrieked, shriek·ing, shrieks v.intr. 1. To utter a shriek. 2. , ``Wake up, tiger!'' and a cluster of monkeys casually preened themselves while a crowd gathered before their cage. Some 200 animals on exhibit when the college held its 12th annual Spring Spectacular, the largest fund-raising event of the year for the college's Exotic Animal Training and Management Program. ``The animals seem happier here, and they seem like they're more interested in people,'' said Todd Hayes of Ventura, standing in front of the gibbon's cage with his wife and 6-year-old daughter. ``A lot of places you go, the animals are in the corner hiding, but these guys are all out.'' The animals' ease with humans is the result of hundreds of hours spent in the program with students, each assigned to work with one animal for a semester at a time. More advanced students work with the large cats and primates for a full year. The students say they begin with rat training and gradually work their way up to interacting with the larger zoo animals - lions, camels, water buffalo water buffalo: see buffalo. water buffalo or Indian buffalo Any of three subspecies of oxlike bovid (species Bubalus bubalis). Two have been domesticated in Asia since the earliest recorded history. , apes, hyenas and wolves. ``I just got assigned an insane 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. named Scooter, and I love her,'' said Brittany Miller, 19, of Orlando, Fla., one of 83 students in the exotic animal program. ``I thought I wanted to work with the cats, but I didn't realize how dumb they were. But the primates are really smart. I know there's not a lot of money in this, but I'd live in a cardboard box cardboard box n → caja de cartón cardboard box n → (boîte f en) carton m cardboard box card n → to work with animals.'' About 9,000 people are expected to attend the Spring Spectacular, to be held every Saturday and Sunday this month. The event raises about $30,000 each year for the exotic animal program, 16 percent of the total annual operating costs, said Mara Rodriguez, a member of the zoo operations staff and a former student of the program. Situated atop a wind-swept hill overlooking the rocky ridgelines, the zoo features exhibits of parrots, carnivores, hoofed animals, birds of prey, reptiles and primates. The weekend events also feature stage shows with wild animals WILD ANIMALS. Animals in a state of nature; animals ferae naturae. Vide Animals; Ferae naturae. that appear to talk to people in theatrical mini-dramas. Elaine and Don Mathews of Thousand Oaks brought their 3-year-old granddaughter to the event, and they stood transfixed before an Asian water buffalo - who stared back at them breathing heavily through a large snout snout the upper lip and the apex of the nose, especially of the pig. Called also rostrum. Has a specialized skin to survive the rigors of rooting, is supported by a separate bone (the os rostri), and also has a few sensory hairs. ring. Reading from a plaque in front of the animal, Elaine Mathews appeared surprised to learn the milk of the water buffalo is sometimes used to make mozzarella moz·za·rel·la n. A mild white Italian cheese that has a rubbery texture and is often eaten melted, as on pizza. [Italian, diminutive of mozza, a cut, mozzarella, from mozzare, cheese. ``This really is informative,'' she said. ``And the zoo is small enough that you can take it all in, especially if you have a young children. The students are really doing an impressive job here.'' CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) Katie Springer, left, and Kim Reynick, both students in the Exotic Animal Training and Management Program at Moorpark College, play the roles of deputy and sheriff Saturday as they interrogate a turtle during the wildlife theater show. (2) An American alligator alligator, large aquatic reptile of the genus Alligator, in the same order as the crocodile. There are two species—a large type found in the S United States and a small type found in E China. Alligators differ from crocodiles in several ways. swims with a muzzle around its mouth Saturday at America's Teaching Zoo, an animal training and management program offered by Moorpark College. Eric Grigorian/Special to the Daily News |
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