ON A PIZZA? BECAUSE IT SURE LOOKED LIKE IT.
I’M INTRIGUED!
I’M INTRIGUED! >>> THERE’S A HANDS-ON ZOO IN
OUR BACKYARD, THE CREATURE
CONSERVANCY IN ANN ARBOR LET’S
YOU GET UP CLOSE AND WILD -- NO,
TO WILD ANIMALS.
FOUNDER STEVE MARSH AND LUCAS
MEYER.
MEYER. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS.
>> THANKS. >> Jason: WE HAVE AS OUR FIRST
GUEST, IF YOU SAW "ZOOTOPIA" YOU
LAUGHED AT THE SWAEN -- AT THE
SCENE WITH THE SLOTH.
WOW, HE IS BIGGER THAN I THOUGHT
HE WOULD BE.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY THAT.
>> THIS IS POCO, AND HE IS A
TWO-TOED TREE SLOTH.
THIS IS THE LARGEST OF THE 6
SPECIES OF SLOTHS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE USED TO
SEEING THE THREE-TOED, AND
THEY’RE SMALLER AND SLOWER.
AND IF YOU MOVING AROUND, YOU
ATTRACT ATTENTION TO YOURSELF.
>> Jason: YOU’RE FEEDING HIM
GRAPES IS, THAT HIS ONLY TREAT?
>> ONE OF THE REASONS THEY HANG
BELOW THE BRANCH IS THAT YOU
TYPICALLY WOULD FIND FRUIT BELOW
THE BRANCH AND HE IS PARKING HIS
FACE WHERE THE FOOD WOULD BE.
SO THAT’S A GREAT PLACE IF
YOU’RE A SLOTH.
>> Jason: CAN YOU TOUCH HIM?
>> TOUCH HIM ON THE NON-BITING
END.
END. >> Jason: DID YOU HEAR THAT, THE
NON-BITING END.
NON-BITING END. OH, HE’S SOFT.
THAT’S PRETTY COOL.
I AM COLLEGE EDUCATED.
WHAT DOES THE CREATURE
CONSERVANCY DO?
CONSERVANCY DO? >> WE’RE DIFFERENT FROM A ZOO.
WE’RE NOT OPEN DURING THE WEEK
BECAUSE WE’RE DOING FIELD TRIPS
ALL WEEK.
ALL WEEK. WE’RE OPEN ON WEEKENDS BUT NOT
SO MUCH A WANDER-THROUGH ZOO.
WE HAVE PRESENTATIONS.
THIS MONTH IS SOUTH AFRICAN
MONTH, AND WE HAVE ASIA MONTH,
AND WE HAVE SIT-DOWN
PRESENTATIONS, SO IT’S
DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT. >> Jason: SO THIS SLOTH HAS
COUSINS AT THE DETROIT ZOO.
>> HIS OFFSPRING IS AT THE
DETROIT ZOO.
DETROIT ZOO. FLASH IS AT THE BUFFALO ZOO.
IF YOU SEE JACK HANNA ON TV WITH
A SLOTH, IT’S ONE OF OUR THREE
BABIES.
BABIES. >> Jason: A LIZARD NEXT.
>> JEROME.
>> JEROME. >> Jason: WHAT DO YOU WANT TO
CALL THIS LIZARD?
OH, JEROME!
OH, JEROME! >> AND HE IS FROM SOUTH AMERICA.
HE’S A FORMER PET.
HE WAS ACTUALLY BROUGHT INTO THE
VET CLINIC WHERE I WORK AND
BROUGHT IN TO BE EUTHANIZED.
HE HAS A BENIGN SITUATION ON HIS
FACE THERE, BUT PEOPLE DIDN’T
WANT HIM ANYMORE AND HAD HIM A
FEW YEARS AND WERE TIRED OF HIM.
AND I COULDN’T SEE THAT
HAPPENING.
HAPPENING. HE’S A PERFECTLY WONDERFUL --
>> Jason: TATI, LOOK OUT!
THAT’S SO FUNNY, SHE SAID.
>> HE EATS A LOT OF EGGS.
HE HAS A FORKED TONGUE AND THEY
LIKE TO DIG UP EGGS, AND SOME
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
THERE’S THE TONGUE.
IF THEY CAN CATCH A MOUSE,
THEY’RE HAPPY TO EAT THAT, AS
WELL.
WELL. >> Jason: ONE OF HIS CLAWS OR
TOES IS SIGNIFICANTLY LONGER
THAN THE REST.
WHY IS THAT?
>> JEROME IS A LITTLE PORTLY.
IN THE WILD, THEY CAN ACTUALLY
GET UP ON HIND LEGS AND RUN
REALLY FAST.
REALLY FAST. >> OH, I’VE SEEN THAT!
>> THE TAIL LOOKS A LITTLE
DIFFERENT BECAUSE IT WAS PULLED
OFF, IT’S A DEFENSE MECHANISM.
IF THEY GRAB THE TAIL, IT GRAEKS
OFF AND VIOLENTLY WIGGLES
AROUND.
AROUND. AND THEN JEROME RUNS OFF TO
SAFETY.
SAFETY. >> Jason: WHY IS HE LOOKING AT
ME AND STICKING HIS TONGUE OUT?
WHAT’S GOING ON WITH THAT?
THANK YOU, JEROME, YOU WERE
EXCELLENT AND WELL-BEHAVED ON
CAMERA.
CAMERA. >> HE’S ONE OF MY FAVORITES, FOR
SURE.
SURE. THIS IS KAHLUA, ANOTHER SOUTH
AMERICIAN ANIMAL.
AMERICIAN ANIMAL. >> Jason: THEY CAN BE ON THE
TABLE AT THE SAME TIME?
>> YES.
>> YES. >> THIS IS A RED-TAILED BOA AND
WAS BEING BOARDED AT A PET
BOARDING FACILITY AND THEY JUST
ABANDONED IT THERE, JUST DIDN’T
WANT IT ANYMORE.
SHE WON’T BITE YOU.
>> Jason: I CAN FEEL THE
PRESSURE ON MY ARM, AND IT FEELS
LIKE WHEN YOU GET YOUR BLOOD
PRESSURE TAKEN.
PRESSURE TAKEN. >> I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE WARNED
YOU.
YOU. A PERFECT TREE FOR A SNAKE
THERE.
THERE. THIS IS KAHLUA.
>> Jason: THIS MAKES ME WANT A
CLUIA AND CREAM AND A WHITE
RUSSIAN.
RUSSIAN. WHO WAS THAT?
DID YOU HEAR THAT?
SOUNDED LIKE A SQUEAK.
THAT WASN’T THE SNAKE OR WAS IT
HIM?
HIM? >> I DIDN’T HEAR ANYTHING.
>> Jason: UNLESS I’M HEARING
THINGS.
THINGS. TATI, WHY SUCH A DOUBTFUL LOOK
ON YOUR FACE?
>> Tati: I’M OBSERVING.
>> THESE ARE RESCUE ANIMALS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE GET EXOTIC
ANIMALS AS PETS AND IT DOESN’T
WORK OUT AND THEY NEED SOMEWHERE
FOR THEM TO GO.
THAT’S HOW IT STARTED, AN
ALLIGATOR WAS LEFT ON THE
DOORSTEP OF THE VET CLINIC.
IT IS LEGAL TO BUY ALLIGATORS AS
PETS AND THAT’S KIND OF CRAZY.
>> Jason: WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED
AND WHEN CAN PEOPLE VISIT?
>> WE’RE OPEN ON THE WEEKENDS
FROM 1:00 TO 5:00, A
PRESENTATION EVERY HALF-HOUR.
AND WE’RE IN ANN ARBOR, ON THE
SOUTHWEST SIDE OF ANN ARBOR,
VERY NEAR THE FAIRGROUNDS IN ANN
ARBOR.
ARBOR. >> Jason: THIS SNAKE HAS CUDDLED
UP AGAINST ME AND LETTING ME PET
IT.
IT. >> YOU’RE WARM, SHE LIKES WARM.
I’M NOT SURE.
>> Jason: ARE YOU SURE IT’S NOT
POISONOUS?
POISONOUS? TATI, I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW MUCH
THE SNAM -- THE SNAKE WEIGHS AND
HOW IT’S CURLED UP ON MY ARM.