THE SUN (Homer Glen, Illinois) 26 October 05 Leapin' lizards - Homer Glen man gives happy home to alligators, pythons and other scaly friends (David Wendell)
Jim Nesci's house in Homer Glen is filled with alligators, giant lizards, pythons and spiny turtles.
No, it's not a Halloween display, the animals live there year round — and very happily.
Nesci has been his own private zookeeper for 50 years. His grandmother bought him a snake when he was 10 years old, and his fascination for the scaled and skinned exotic animals has continued ever since.
Since then, he has owned hundreds of rare and unusual species from around the world, garnering him appearances on "The Tonight Show," "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and other programs.
He does not, however, consider himself the star of the show. That title he reserves for Bubba, the nearly 20-foot long 250-pound alligator who shared his house for 17 years.
Bubba passed away last month, but only after having brought education and laughter to thousands of children (and adults) in school appearances and lectures across America.
Nesci was able to train the tame reptilian to perform tricks and, with the gentle giant's reticent character, offered rides to little children at special events and birthday parties.
"They love it," Nesci said.
The alligator succumbed to a urinary tract infection that could not have been detected, according to Nesci, and even Bubba's immune system did not recognize it. Crocodilians are renowned for their remarkable healing powers, but in this rare disorder, he showed no signs of illness and even his own body didn't know to respond.
For Nesci, that makes it all the more tragic.
"We're broken up over it," he said, "and deeply saddened, Bubba was a member of the family."
Bubba's fans from around the globe felt he was a part of their own families as well.
They have been sending sympathy cards and letters of condolence that continue to fill Nesci's mail box and e-mail account every day.
"We thank them for their support," he said with a tear in his eye.
The legacy of Bubba lives on, however, in the form of Lucky, a 5-foot long 8-year-old gator who was given life because of Nesci. In 1998, the then tiny 1-year-old baby was found at the DuPage County Sewage Treatment Plant and brought to him during a show at Navy Pier.
It had been flushed down a toilet and somehow managed to survive the sharp corkscrew auger that is intended to grind the sludge before it reaches the chemical application tanks. He nursed the animal back to health, and, alongside his bigger adopted brother, made appearances as Baby Bubba.
The name changed, though, when after a school lecture, a first-grade student wrote a letter thanking Nesci and suggesting that, the young gator's name should be Lucky because of being saved by Nesci. She finished her letter, explained Nesci, by saying, "He's lucky because you got him and we know you'll take care of him."
Lucky is the star of the show now, but not the only player. Vying for their own stage time are Godzilla and Dragon, 50-pound monitor lizards that stretch 6 feet from nose (yes, they do have one) to tail.
Their names make them sound intimidating, but they are anything but malevolent. Each will let you pet or stroke them, and they are surprisingly soft to the touch.
"I choose names that kids can associate with," Nesci said. "It appeals to them — it dispels myths and shows the other side of these animals."
If you've never seen the underside of a tortoise, for example, you can at Nesci's place. He owns two giants of the species; Big Al tips the scales at 250 pounds. The other, Tank, an infant by comparison, is only 12 years old and weighs a mere 60 pounds.
Why would you want to see the underside of a giant tortoise in the first place? Generally speaking, that's the only way to determine if you have a boy or girl under that shell, according to herpetologists (people who study reptilians).
"Boys unsually have longer tails," explained Nesci and his friends of the Chicago Herpetological Society.
Of all the attractions at his home/zoo in the gently rolling hills of his Homer Glen neighborhood — the ones that garner the most squeamish responses — are Samantha and Blondie. The innocent sounding names are deceptive monikers.
Each is a 13- to 16-foot long 100-pound python that slither around Nesci's neck or through the hands of adults who stand in a long line during lectures to hold the scaled serpent from tongue to tail.
When people see them, they usually cringe at first, Nesci said, but after seeing them and their amazing colors (Blondie is a sleek milky white), they want to learn more.
"Get close to them, touch them, get to know them," he invites all of his crowds.
Most usually do, according to Nesci, including Oprah Winfrey. He and Bubba appeared on her television program a few years ago and stole the show when he led Winfrey to kiss the hulking gator.
"She played that she was scared," he confided, "but I don't think she was."
Other celebrities who have not been intimidated when meeting Bubba and his friends include Jay Leno during an appearance on "The Tonight Show" and Steve Irwin of "Crocodile Hunter" fame.
Irwin, Nesci laughs, was particularly impressed. After a show he had recently performed with Bubba, the Australian animal star walked up to Nesci in amazement and exclaimed, "Crikey, how did you train that bloke?"
Nesci takes it all in stride. He feels that there's no special trick to training the unfairly belittled beasts. He said that if you genuinely care for the animal, it will respect you.
"I love animals," he said. "I've got Noah's Ark."
Nonetheless, he stresses the importance of responsible pet ownership to all children and their parents at his events.
"They're cute when they're small," he said, "but remember, they're going to get big."
Homer Glen man gives happy home to alligators, pythons and other scaly friends

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