Oxnard—It was a bright sunny Easter Morning at Zachari Dunes on Mandalay Beach, Curio Collection by Hilton, as guests and visitors enjoyed lunch, petted wildlife, rocked out with the Easter Bunny, while kids grabbed eggs.
THE Pool was also open and had plenty of swimmers. Steve Mehren from Saving Wildlife said he has a degree in exotic animal training and educated the crowd.
“They are the base of conservation,” he said. “If I brought artifacts and plants, I wouldn’t get a turnout like this. People love animals, as do I, and I decided to dedicate my life to them.”
He likes the Monkey the best.
“The Monkey and I are pretty tight,” he said. “He’s the only Spider Monkey we have, and he’s social and needs a bond.”
Steve’s assistant handled the animals, while Steve educated the crowd.
“I studied biology in College and got some experience there at Channel Islands, and then I worked at Saving Wildlife International,” she said. “I met my boss, who taught me how to handle the animals because they have different body language, so you have to know the body language, and how to read that body language, and what they’re comfortable with.”
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