The rise of mobile zoos raising concerns about health and safety
TORONTO — Shannon Geldart does not remember what kind of snake it was, only that it stretched further than the width of her Toronto home.
As the metres-long reptile settled on the laps of a dozen children and some parents, she said she felt no fear — just excitement over the success of her four-year-old son’s birthday party.
The kids were instantly captivated by the snake and an array of other exotic animals, including a parrot, a lemur and a rat brought in by Hands-On Exotics, a Toronto-based company that she hired for the pirate-themed party.
The up-close contact with the snake left a lasting impression on everyone, Geldart said, adding parents approached her years after the 2013 bash clamouring for the company’s contact information and reminiscing about how much they and their children loved the event.