Getting out of my comfort zone

Post date: Aug 31, 2013 2:40:00 PM

Today I took the lead role at a birthday party for a nine-year-old boy. It wasn't the first time I've done this, but ... it was the second! The trick, of course, is to make it appear as though you have massive experience; firstly because the child will want to think they have had something a bit special (not someone struggling over their words), and secondly because we want the parents/grandparents to be satisfied that they have had their money's worth from us. So it's a case of smile, be interesting, and don't panic! And as I know most of the animals reasonably well it shouldn't be too hard.

However, today I had a couple more things to deal with. Although we say "If there are any animals you would especially like us to bring please say so, and we will do our best", usually the choice is left to us. This time we had a list of five specified animals. Two of these weren't an issue; I'm very familiar and confident with both. The third was a straightforward substitution; a friendly animal of a particular species in place of a less friendly one. This left two.

One of these is a snake that I've handled often enough, but I've never picked up - she's always been passed to me - and she's a little nervous, so picking her up is the risky time. So last night I practised picking her up, and today we both did really quite well.

Which left number five, the leopard gecko. Up until three weeks ago, the request for Nutty would not have been an issue, but then it became apparent that all was not well with him, and he died in my hands a week ago (the victim, we think, of another "designer gene"). This left us with only one leopard gecko, and a small boy expecting one.

Albus has been with us for a year, but I've never managed to hold him. If I try to touch him he screams, hisses, arches his tail over his back like a scorpion, attempts to bite, and throws himself into my face.

So yesterday, when I got home from work, I put on some kevlar gloves (I'm not joking - he may only be four inches long, but this is one scary lizard) and tried to stroke him.

I didn't actually touch him, and after seven or eight minutes he stopped screaming at me. I kept my hand near him for another minute or so, before closing his vivarium and leaving him for a while. Half an hour later I tried again; there was no screaming this time, but all of the posturing of the deadliest scorpion. I kept my hand close for about five minutes before withdrawing. A little while later, I tried again. This time, I actually managed to stroke his back.

Throughout the evening I made small incursions into his territory, always withdrawing on my terms rather than his, and on around the seventh go I was able to pick him up. I held him for a few minutes, then put him back, and checked on him once more before I went to bed.

This morning I put the kevlar gloves on again, and opened up his vivarium. We looked at each other for a while, and then I left him alone. An hour later, with no gloves, I picked him up, and put him and his favourite hide into a travel box.

Later in the morning, he behaved himself perfectly when I picked him up out of the box to introduce him to the children at the party.

I think I have a new best friend!

Jane