We were lucky to catch up with Elizabeth Felton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Elizabeth, thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I fell in love with big cats watching Gunther Gebel-Willams perform a multi species act when I was just six years old. It was not until I was in my late twenties I had an opportunity to work with a Ti-Liger named “Miss Fire.” At the time it was legal for the public to engage with and even own big cats on a private level. Due to lazy legislation, the Big cat captive Safety act was recently pushed through (despite failure for many sessions prior). It is a sadness to see in my lifetime as it seals the fate of a collection of endangered species larger than of that in the wild. They now *will* go extinct.

I did not attend school for zoology. Instead I took every opportunity I could find to volunteer and work with captive wildlife. It pains me to see students pouring tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars on classroom training that will not adequately prepare them for the hands on nuances of exotic animal husbandry. Many have been sold the lie that “accreditation ” means a zoo is a “good zoo.” They follow the path of formal classroom training just to get into an internship, often landing them in the gift shop rather than doing the thing they’ve invested in heavily, animal husbandry.

Unlimited funds and time would be the only two things that could have sped up the learning process. Despite the battle cries of anthropomorphic animal right cult extremists, true exploitation of exotic animals is near impossible. They are costly to obtain, feed house and provide veterinary care. Many keepers will work a second job for better pay just to be able to do what they love.

The ability to learn from others without ego is essential. This also means being able to unlearn incorrect information and re educate with up to date/accurate information. Each species requires a separate education on diet, habitat, behaviors, enrichment and veterinary pit falls. The longer you are working with exotics, the more questions you will have. It requires the ability to be a life long student and discernment when listening to peer mentors.

I learned part time while raising three children, attending college and working. It was not until my adult life that I had the time and financial resources to put all I had learned into my own business.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

This zoo is for you! No long lines, no gift shops, no children under 18. No more than 10 guests per encounter.These exclusive tours get you closer than possible at a traditional zoo.

We don’t just “have a small zoo,” we live here with our animals. As a result they are habituated to humans and very tame for us. We’ve become accustomed to their body language and social cues. Each guest experience is unique to their visit depending on the mood of our animals and you, the guest they day you visit. We will get you closer than a traditional zoo, what happens after that is an organic, one of a kind experience between you and our critter family.

We understand the importance of creating an up close connection with animals for people to care about preserving their wild counterparts. Our unique approach to exhibits allows our guests to not only see our animals but interact with them. Learning about the species *and* the animals as individuals.

Our programs not only educate the public about wild life but allow hands on interaction with a variety of different species as well! We wanted to create a magical experience for animal lovers who *need* to be close to animals but are not ready for the full time commitment exotic animal ownership requires.

Additionally, we provide quality exotics to approved private owners who *are* ready.. We make sure that understand the long term commitment, have adequate finances to provide for all needs (including a peer mentor group) as well as access to exotic veterinarians. Animals are property under the law. They are however property with special considerations. Safari Bob’s has a “Zero rescue policy” meaning that none of the animals we produce are permitted to enter rescue facilities as per our sales/adoption contracts. We heavily vet pet homes prior to purchase.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I think when people “dream” of working with animals, they often envision countless hours of cuddling and play time. It is a nice job perk but the reality is it’s a lot of food prep and cleaning. The hardest part of the job is saying goodbye. Most species have a significantly shorter life span than humans. Potential longevity is not reached with every animal and with close to a hundred on site, there is more room for loss than someone who keeps one or two animals as pets. This means while a family may grieve a dog every ten to twenty years, we lose multiple animals per year. There are only so many times you can cry to friends and family. As a result you become very efficient at compartmentalizing grief and crying on schedule. I’ve learned to accept they will not be here forever.

We lost our elder bush baby this year. I didn’t sob while caring for her. I was able to hold it together, understanding death is a natural part of life and as her owner it was my job to see her through this last piece.I gave her the end I hope to have. She stayed home and was allowed natural death, in my arms with support fluids and pain meds to keep her comfortable. I held my tears until she was gone, telling her how beautiful she was and thanking her for allowing me to part of her journey. Comparmnetalized grief does not mean you do not feel, it just means you’ve become efficient at processing death. Her favorite teddy bear is on a shelf, net to the ashes of my beloved serval and a retired stuffed lemur who was once a companion for my matriarch ringtail when she was a singleton juvenile. (The imaginary friendship she had with her dollies became the subject of my first children’s book.)

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

My business took a back seat from 2018-2022 while attempting to replace AR (animal rights) leaning politicians. I ran for US Congress in 2020 and ran Melissa Martz for congress in 2022. Both incumbents were supporters of the Big Cat Captive Safety Act. I could write an entire book on the subject (and still might.) The short story is, after four years emersed in politics, I had to walk away. I came to the conclusion there is no left, no right, just an impenetrable duopoly pitting the public against each other to maintain control while we struggle to keep up. I have been much more at peace since returning my full attention to the zoo.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://safaribobs.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safaribobsanimals/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/safaribobs
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-felton-9510ab270/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnd7WIpt2tcEKjT34aXCnkg

Image Credits
Bill Barbosa