Bugs!
LOREN BENOIT/Press Zookeeper and animal educator Mackenzie Briel holds an Arizona blond tarantula named Charlotte for kids to see at the Bugology 1-0-Fun exhibit at the North Idaho State Fair on Wednesday.
An Arizona blond tarantula named Charlotte rested in Allison Wheeler's hand, mere feet away from the wide eyes of kids sitting on the floor during a "bugology" lesson on Wednesday.
To be sure, 13-year-old 4-H member Allison wasn't even a little afraid. She actually enjoyed having a close encounter with the large arachnid.
"She was soft and gentle. It didn't freak me out," said Allison, of Rathdrum. "She just sat there until she decided to run off." It was a sight her grandma, Paula Ballard, never expected to see.
"Someone said, 'Allison's holding a tarantula,' and I just came right up and said, 'No way!'" Paula said with a laugh. "We don't do spiders in our house."
Allison's four sisters agreed: She's pretty brave.
"I've never been scared of bugs," she said. "I actually didn't know that females eat the males, I didn't know that was with tarantulas."
The insect and arachnid education is abundant in Building 10 of the North Idaho State Fair, where zookeeper and animal educator Mackenzie Briel will be giving Bugology 1-0-Fun presentations and — cringe alert! — hosting bug tastings. The Bugology shows include appearances by a cockroach, a walking stick bug and a tarantula.
"It's fun to see their reaction. It's great, especially when it's a bug," said Briel, who works for Pacific Animal Productions in San Diego. "Then the kids learn about it, and they leave with a big smile."
Although she didn't intentionally get into the animal business to work with insects, she loves traveling to different fairs and seeing kids excited about animals of all kinds, even spiders and scorpions.
"They each have their role in the environment," she said. "Once you learn about them, they're not as scary and you learn they're good to have around."
Bees, butterflies and other things that creep, crawl and buzz will be on display all week with Bugology 1-0-Fun shows at noon, 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. today through Saturday and noon, 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Sunday.
As for the bug tastings: They’ll be held in Building 10 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. today, 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday.