Nothing perks up a party like a live alligator.
And that goes double when he brings along his pal, the 12-foot boa constrictor.
These creatures are not technically available for hire–at least not without their handler Kim Schilling, founder and executive director of Animals for Awareness, a non-profit organization based in Palos Park that brings wildlife demonstrations to various locations around Chicagoland.
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“We are technically an educational facility,” Schilling says, adding, “a lot of our animals are owner give-ups or confiscations or things like that.” The group uses the income it receives at birthday parties and the like to take care of the animals.
On a typical outing, Schilling will take 10 to 12 animals; that could include an alligator, boa, python, Canadian lynx, hedgehog, 55-pound turtle, fox, lizard or mongoose.
“We teach responsibility and what makes a good pet and what doesn’t,” Schilling says. “We talk about thinking before buying and how some snakes are legal to buy but after they hit 6 feet [long] they are illegal.”
For those looking for less exotic species but one that could make a certain little tot’s pony dream come true, try Sarah’s Pony Parties (630-802-1316). For $175 an hour, this Clarendon Hills-based outfit will send you two ponies with two handlers.
Says owner Sarah Halleday, “The handlers will do the set up, help with mounts and dismounts and clean up after the pony,” if you know what she means. Also, she says, you don’t have to worry that your little Chicago patch of grass is going to be too small for pony rides.
“You’d be surprised what we can work with,” she says. “We’ve done it in 10-by-10 [foot] Chicago backyards or even in a driveway or a sidewalk.”
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Animals for Awareness, 708-405-3052 or animalsforawareness.org
$200 an hour plus gas expenses.
Get creative! Throwing a farewell party for a friend? Rent the gator and make it a “See ya later, Alligator!” party.