LEDGER-ENQUIRER (Columbus, Ohio) 10 March 08 Nearly 1,500 celebrate Reptile Fest at CSU center (Chuck Williams)
Photo at URL below: Katie Merritt, 7, scrunches her face up as her father, Bryan, places Hera, a Columbian red-tail boa constrictor on her shoulder. (Robin Trimarchi)
Katie Merritt was fearless.
The 7-year-old second-grader had a nearly 8-foot Colombian red-tail boa constrictor wrapped around her Sunday afternoon at Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center. The snake's midsection was almost as large as the girl's legs.
Her biggest concern as her father, Bryan, helped her control the reptile, its tongue flickering inches from her face?
The snake was "shedding its skin."
Katie was one of nearly 1,500 people to participate in the Reptile Fest at the Columbus State University center. The event annually draws large crowds, said center manager Jill Carroll.
Katie was there with her family and best friend, McKenzie Maynard, 8.
The two girls couldn't get enough of the large snakes, which weighed close to 30 pounds.
"I am not afraid of them, I held them last year," Katie said.
There is no reason to be afraid, because they eat rabbits and rats, not kids.
"I know they're trained," McKenzie said.
How does she know this?
"Mrs. Merritt told me so," she responded.
Wanda Merritt, Katie's mother, said her children look forward to the Reptile Fest every year.
"About two weeks ago, they started asking about the Reptile Fest," she said. "They knew it was getting close."
Wanda said her husband, Bryan, a sergeant first class stationed at Fort Benning, likes snakes and lizards and passed along that passion to Katie and her 10-year-old brother, Kyle.
The two Colombian red-tail boa constrictors the Merritts were handling belonged to Michael Elston. It was the first time he brought his snakes to the Reptile Fest.
He was amazed at how the children played with the snakes.
"The kids love 'em," he said. "It's the grown-ups who are afraid of them."
Nearly 1,500 celebrate Reptile Fest at CSU center