Hands on Exotics

During Hell week (aka Midterm week), those who got lucky were able to relieve some stress by playing with a collection of weird animals last Saturday, Oct. 22nd. ‘Hands on Exotics’ was an event held in Ron Eydt Village where Seth Falk brought some of his exotic animals to the university for students to meet and interact with. Some animals that were at the event included parrots, ferrets, lemurs, sugar gliders, chinchillas, snakes, turtles, insects, and some reptiles you probably have never heard of.
Seth has always been intrigued by the unique relationships human beings have been privileged to have with all the creatures of the world. From a young age, Seth has worked with animals professionally, spending time as a zookeeper and working with rehabilitation programs at the University of Guelph. His time spent living in Central America and the Amazon has only strengthened his resolve to work with and protect exotic animal species. Seth wants to make it his life’s work, through Hands on Exotics, to promote the healthiest animal-human relationships at every level, from family care of pets to conservation of endangered species.
One of the peak moments of the day was when two parrots were having a conversation, together, in English. Another fascinating event was when the lemurs inexorably hopped on students’ heads, or when the parrots expressed their dislike for certain events through loud noises.
All in all, it is an experience everyone enjoyed. It was beyond fascinating to see how different exotic animals interacted with one another and with humans. I recommend every animal-lover to come out next year and play with animals you won’t commonly see on the way to class.