ALTON - In a theme of Halloween, RiverBender.com Community Center hosted Jeff Armstrong, owner of Animal Tales to educate and entertain the kids in the RBCC after-school program. Animal Tales is a nationwide company that features exotic animals from all around the world.
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Hayner Public Library was a sponsor and provided funding for the Animal Tales to come to Alton.
The theme was “Creepy Critters” for the presentation to children on Wednesday afternoon. Animal Tales provides an up close and personal education to children about the animals and their unique abilities to compete and survive in the wild.
Armstrong hails from Kingston Springs, Tenn., and is now the owner of Animal Tales, which covers a 15-state area.
The exotic animals presenter said his goal each time he talks to children is to change their fear of these animals and animals in general to “intrigue.”
“They will find that these exotic animals are as much bait in the wild as they are predators,” he said. “If I hit the lottery tomorrow, I would just do more of this and purchase more animals, that is how much I love doing this. We have over 100 animals on a farm we live on now. I am an engineer by trade and my wife is a teacher, but this is all we do now. We do animal programs all around the country.”
Armstrong’s entry into telling animal tales came when he wanted to buy a Pot Bellied Pig and then a Fainting Goat. Then came Miniature Donkeys and today he has a wide array of exotic animals, some that can’t travel with him. He had with him, but not for this program a baby kangaroo.
“I take him everywhere with me,” said Armstrong of Boomer, the young kangaroo.
Armstrong brought with him a large snake, a scorpion, an African Pigme Hedge Hog, an African Bull Frog, a Rainbow Bowa Snake, a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach and an European Legless Lizard.
Animal Tales visits schools, libraries, industries and corporations, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, churches, municipal and state parks, campgrounds, clubs and organizations and does birthday parties, fund raisers and special events.
This week, Armstrong and his animals visited Highland, Alton, then next Cape Giarardeau where the kangaroo was part of the show.
“I try to teach children and it motivates them at the same time,” he said. “I never have less than three children say they want to do what we do at the end of the program. It generates interest in kids and that is huge.”
SEE PHOTO GALLERY OF ANIMAL TALES PROGRAM:
