My friend Yogi

I had always hated snakes. Not because any had done me any harm but I guess because the Bible had been drilled into my head as a child and you know, the snake and poor Eve had been blamed for all the 

troubles in the world.

In reality though, many snakes are very dangerous and should be carefully avoided.

However, around ten years ago, I met a wonderful young man named

Mark.                                                                                                               

                Mark and I pose with his scarlet macaw.

He is not only an extremely talented artist, but also the most interesting animal lover I had ever encountered.

At the time, among his pets were an iguana and a snake. Well, I hate lizards and would never consider going within ten miles of any, (thank god he got rid of it!) but he had such intriguing snake tales that I became curious.

He had actually bred them and soon convinced me that they were not cold and yucky as I had always imagined but rather the skin is more velvety.

My first encounter with Yogi

So he brought Yogi, a Colombian red-tailed Boa, to my home, wearing him around his neck as if he were  decoration.

At first, I was horrified but after finally touching him, I too took the next step, a bit tepidly I will admit.

 Soon Yogi, the snake was in my home slithering all over me and the furniture curiously.   

At that time he weighed around 20 lbs. and was being fed with one white mouse MONTHLY, for that’s how long it takes a boa to digest its meal. 

He had bought this much maligned pet when it was a baby, only about one foot long. 

Soon, he even learnt to breed them and had on occasion appeared on the local television, then JBCTV, to talk to kids about caring for snakes.

Mark the snakeman

 As we became closer over the years, it was not surprising that on returning home for vacation recently, one of the first persons I had to see was Mark and on learning that he had now added birds to his collection, I had to visit his mini zoo.

Mark with birds Stitch and Coco

Yogi has grown considerably since I last saw him, weighing 60 lbs. now and now digesting a rabbit instead a mouse monthly.

Soon I was introduced to the birds, Stitch, a scarlet Macaw, Coco an Amazon Parrot, Goldie an Indian Ringlet, and Sunshine a Sun conure.

To tell the truth, although I loved all the birds, only Coco loved me back.

For when Stitch was taken out of his cage, he tried to pick me when I touched him. And when he was put on the ground, he immediately attacked my toes with his sharp beak.

                                            

It was a similar story with Goldie and Sunshine, but Coco was super friendly, even doing a dance for me later on, although he refused to speak when I was there. 

                                        

However, Mark’s mom told me that as soon as his owner arrives from work in the afternoons and opens the gate, Coco would start shouting "Mark" until he is inside.                                                                                                    LOVELY PETS.    

   

Yogi explores