With a wide range of furry and slithery friends, Jennifer Dickey of the Turlock-based Cruzin’ Critters provided lots of laughs and educational tidbits for those attending a special program offered at the Escalon Library.
The Jan. 17 afternoon program showcased animals ranging from a red fox to an owl, a porcupine to a hedgehog, snake, rabbit, black throated monitor lizard, a turtle and more. Each was introduced by Dickey, who told the crowd the animal’s name, a little bit about its natural habitat, food preferences and behaviors. In some cases, she also shared how the animal came to be in her care, with some of them having been injured and unable to return to the wild. And, when it came time to ask questions, the young audience member who answered correctly when called upon had the chance to pet the animal that the question was about.
Admitting it is hard to narrow down the favorite animal in her ‘Cruzin’ repertoire, Dickey does have one four-legged friend that stands out.
“My favorite animal is my dog because I can cuddle with him,” she shared, chuckling.
The red fox she recently acquired – it had been kept illegally as a pet and was turned over to her – is one she is enjoying getting to know and likes to bring to shows.
“I started work at the Fresno Zoo and then the Lodi Zoo and when Lodi Zoo shut down their educational program, I started taking over some of their (animals) and that’s kind of how this was born,” she explained of the Cruzin’ Critters. “I think we’re also going on 10 years ago now I started rescuing the illegals, like the porcupine and the ones that needed a permit.”
Her traveling show is a popular one for library programs and school assemblies and she also does birthday parties as well. More information is available by calling 209-568-WILD (9453) or by visiting www.cruzin-critters.com.
“Watching the kids,” Dickey said of what she enjoys most about introducing them to the variety of critters. “I love the animals but I love it when I’m in the grocery store and a kid goes ‘Mom, that’s the animal lady’, or ‘Mom, that’s the critter lady’ you know, or a mom will say ‘Is this true? My kid said you said this at school today’ and I’m like, yup, they listen well.”
Part of the attraction, she feels, is that the kids are having so much fun meeting the animals that they don’t realize they are also learning. It’s fun and educational, which Dickey said is a winning combination.
She also said knowing that the kids remember is a good feeling. She explained that recently, she returned to do a birthday party for a second sibling in a family, and the youngsters knew the answers to some of the questions she asked, having heard the information during the first presentation.
“They knew the answers … that just fill my heart, that gives me goosebumps, that they remember,” Dickey admitted. “I’m teaching them and they’re learning, which is my goal.”
