Abstract
Chehalis, Washington may only have a population of 7,057 people, but on Saturday, February 23, 2008, more than 1500 were at the Phoenix Exotic Wildlife Association annual event. Everyone had an opportunity to meet and interact with animals, reptiles and birds that they have never seen before.
They handled snakes, they petted furry animals, they saw the tortoises and even howled with a Grey Wolf. The Grand Finale for the event was the stage show by Predators of the Heart, presenting cougars, a wolf, an American Alligator, an Augur Buzzard, an Eagle Owl and various snakes for entertainment and education.
AFA Washington State Coordinator, Julie Corwin, brought the parrot display to life. There were macaws and cockatoos, caiques, a Hawk-headed Parrot and even a little parrotlet. It was a wonderful opportunity for the public to meet and interact with parrots. The Olympic Bird Fanciers and the Northwest Exotic Bird Society presented educational information, trick training and a flight demonstration.
There were educational talks presented by experts in many fields. The attendees learned about taking care of their new reptile, making toys for birds and training with positive reinforcement. There was a presentation on emerging zoonoses and epizootics (epidemics in animals) of a global scale. They had an opportunity to talk to Animal Communicator, Shirley Scott and hear her presentation about children and animals. There was also a presentation from the Washington State Representatives Richard Debolt and Gary Alexander regarding legislative issues and exotic animals.
This event was free to the public and was presented by the Phoenix Exotic Wildlife Organization. The organization was founded in 1999 as a community service organization composed of active members working to protect and maintain the rights of private ownership through responsible behavior.