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8 | March 19, 2020 | The lake forest leader community
LakeForestLeaderDaily.com
Rue
The Cioni Family,
Lake Forest
This is Rue Cioni.
Although she’s only
joined our family
a few weeks ago,
it feels like she’s
been a part of our
lives forever! We feel so lucky to have her in our
home. She has won the hearts of everyone who
meets her. She is the most cuddly and sweet dog
we’ve met! From the mean streets of Chicago to
enchanted Lake Forest, she has it pretty good!
Thanks to MCP Rescue for taking a chance on
her!
HELP! The Lake Forest Leader is in search of more pets.
To see your pet featured as Pet of the Week, send a photo
and information to peter@lakeforestleader.com or 60
Revere Drive, Suite 888, Northbrook, IL 60062.
Posted to LakeForestLeaderDaily.com 5 days ago
Reptile Rampage provides cold-blooded fun for all
Katie Copenhaver
Freelance Reporter
Reptiles took over the
Lake Forest Recreation
Center on March 8 for the
23rd annual Reptile Rampage,
accompanied by
their owners, rescuers and
breeders.
Hundreds of visitors attended
the event for various
reasons. Some were
current reptile owners,
some were would-be reptile
owners, some were
merely curious about reptiles
and others just wanted
something different to do
on a weekend afternoon.
“It’s a community event
to celebrate reptiles,” said
Rob Carmichael, curator
of Lake Forest’s Wildlife
Discovery Center, the host
organization. Carmichael
was on staff for the first
Reptile Rampage in 1997,
and he has been at every
show since then. He personally
selects all of the
exhibiting groups and individuals,
so that he is sure
to get like-minded people
who have a passion for
reptiles.
“What’s great is it’s totally
hands on,” said Carmichael,
meaning that attendees
were welcome to
pet, touch and, in some
cases, hold the animals
with supervision of the exhibitors.
Some of the most visible
examples of the hands-on
experience were the tortoise
pens of the Madison
Area Herpetological Society
and Black Coal Exotics.
Both groups had set
up enclosures on the floor
beside their tables where
the tortoises could roam
around and visitors could
reach down and touch
them.
The founders of the
Misfit Zoo Project had a
bearded dragon dressed up
in a hoodie and cowboy
hat that they were holding
and allowing visitors to pet
and touch. For his part, the
lizard seemed comfortable
and friendly in the situation.
Exhibiting groups came
from Illinois and surrounding
states. They included
Black Coal Exotics, Crosstown
Exotics, Richard
Crowley Reptiles, Chicago
Herpetological Society,
Friends of Scales Reptile
Rescue, Madison Area
Herpetological Society,
The Misfit Zoo Project,
Peggy Notebaert Nature
Museum of Chicago, Phillips
Park Zoo of Aurora,
Roaming Reptiles of Wisconsin,
Adeline Robinson
Arts and Illustration, St.
Louis Herpetological Society
and Wilcox Reptile
Supply.
Brandon and Michelle
Fowler, of Roaming Reptiles,
relocated from California
to Wisconsin last
year. They were doing 60
– 70 educational programs
in California per month,
which meant taking reptiles
to schools, libraries,
birthday parties and more.
Because of their popularity
in California, they kept a
branch office with a manager
there. Meanwhile,
the move has worked well
for them because they are
now based out of the M
Toxins company facility in
Oshkosh, Wisc. That company
extracts venoms from
snakes for medicinal uses,
so it is reptile-friendly.
Plus, Brandon explained
that they have been friends
with members of the Madison
Area Herpetological
Society and Carmichael
for years, so being in the
An American alligator was just one of the many reptiles
brought out to meet the public at Reptile Rampage, held
on March 8 in Lake Forest. Alex Newman/22nd Century
Media
Midwest brings them closer
to their reptile network.
Like the Fowlers, the
Madison Area Herpetological
Society does reptile
education shows at a variety
of venues.
Bill Stewart, president
of the Milwaukee Chapter,
said their mission is twofold:
1) to educate people
on the importance of reptiles
to the natural environment;
and 2) to show people
how to keep reptiles
happy and healthy as pets.
“We really like to dispel
myths,” Stewart said.
“We want to make sure
we disseminate accurate
information about how incredible
these magnificent
animals are.”
The society has grown
so much that they now
have three chapters: Madison,
Milwaukee and the
Fox Valley, Wisc. It is an
all-volunteer run nonprofit
organization with members
who participate because
of their passion for
reptiles and conservation,
explained Stewart.
The Midwest reptile
community is supportive
and close knit. Many of the
exhibitors know each other
from various events like
this one, and the semi-annual
North American Reptile
Breeders Conference
(NARBC) that takes place
at the Tinley Park Convention
Center in Illinois.
(The next conferences occurs
March 14 and 15.)
Another of many interconnections
was that
a member of the Madison
Area Herpetological
Society was adopting a
Sulcota tortoise from the
Friends of Scales Reptile
Rescue. Erica Mede, with
Friends of Scales, said
they brought that tortoise
to Reptile Rampage so the
society member could take
it home with them.
Aly Balles and Cody
Wilson, who are founders
of The Misfit Zoo Project,
met at the NARBC.
Balles said their Wisconsin-based
organization,
which is in the process of
becoming a 501(c)3 nonprofit,
specializes in special
needs and disabled
reptiles and birds. Char,
their friendly bearded
dragon who wears clothes,
was her first rescue animal.
For the full story, visit
LakeForestLeaderDaily.
com.