Wild and Woolly
Photos of amazing animals I have encountered. These bison live on a ranch in the Uwharrie mountains of North Carolina. The rancher keeps some other wild animals there. I've posted photos of them elsewhere in this blog. -- Bill Lindau





Sad to say, I've forgotten this woman's name, but her business is taking care of animals used in show business. This big cat (cerval cat, I believe it's called) was one of the animals she brought to a children's summer show in Biscoe, N.C., in the summer of 2005. She also had birds of prey, such as an owl, a hawk and a falcon, a monkey and -- a 12-foot Burmese python. A baby, she said. As I mention below, the show concluded with her letting the children pet that enormous serpent -- and me holding him. This animal was really a gentle giant, not like a rattler. Pythons aren't poisonous; they squeeze their prey to death before they swallow it. With the caretaker close by, I wasn't all that worried, until the thing started stretching his head behind my back. But if he had me in mind for dinner, I'm sure I killed his appetite by sweating a lot. I really wish I had the photo to prove my boasts. Somebody tried to take a photo of me holding the humongous critter, but all she got was his tail and maybe my hand.


A wild-animal show in Biscoe I attended in 2005 featured a camel with a bad attitude. This dromedary tried to eat my notepad, then she grabbed me by my shirt collar. You should've seen that. The baboon, the two tigers, the llama and the grinning goat were among the other animals. I had a polaroid taken of me holding a tiger cub. Sad to say I lost the photo.



Biologist Laura Dameron of Charlotte lets children pet a miniature alligator at an animal show at Troy Elementary School (N.C.) in 2005. I covered these children's summer learning events for The Post. The highlight of this beat was holding a baby (12 foot) Burmese python at one of the other shows. That was the first time I held a snake of any size or disposition. I felt like Billy Jack afterwards.






This mare and her foal live on a farm on the Troy-Candor Road in Montgomery County, N.C. I took this photo in 2005.