About The Jungle Lady℠
Colorado's Creature Teacher
Ted the African Tortoise has feet like an elephant and loves to eat bananas. His rough texture and winning personality are always a big hit with younger audiences.
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| Linda enjoys the embrace of her bright yellow show-stopper, a Burmese python named Sunny. Easily mistaken for a venomous coral snake, the bright red creature coiled around her right arm is a milksnake. A ball python has also playfully slithered onto Linda’s right leg. | |
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Begin with a childhood spent playing with frogs and snakes at Cherry Creek Reservoir. Add four years immersed in the performing arts at Smoky Hill High School. Complement this with college studies at UNC heavily slanted towards teaching and science. If combined properly, and given the right encouragement, you just might create something unique and foreign to the arid environment of Colorado — a Jungle Lady.
Linda has transformed her love of reptiles and her skills at performing and teaching into an unlikely career. She entertains groups of all kinds by making some of nature's scariest creatures approachable and fun.
The needle-like spiky fur of the seemingly cuddly hedgehog. The ticklish little feet of a repulsive looking eight inch millipede. The cool, smooth feel of a slimy -looking ten foot python. Using a hands-on, interactive style Linda delights her audiences with these and many other unique experiences.
“My basement looks like a pet store,” she tells us as we descend into her “animal room.” The walls are covered in large, well-lit cages from floor to ceiling. “There are over a hundred ‘critters’ down here. I'll typically use ten or so during one of my shows,” Linda tells us.
Peering into the cages in The Jungle Lady’s “animal room” is like taking a quick tour of our planet's most exotic locations. There is Ted, the enormous tortoise from Central Africa. And Lola, the fourteen foot python from Myanmar. An enormous bearded dragon from Australia tracks our movement to his cage. Fluffy, a rose haired tarantula from Chile, seems aloof - indifferent to the fact that we've arrived with dinner.
While the collection is clearly skewed towards large examples of exotic and colorful animals, Linda assures us that the quality she values the most is a calm disposition. “My animals must be able to perform for small children, which means they must be safe to touch and calm in noisy, busy environments.”
Some kids might visualize Heaven as a magical place full of bugs, lizards, and snakes. For Linda’s three children - Lisa, Dan and Brian, this paradise is an everyday experience. Helping with the animals is second nature to her kids. Their knowledge of the habits and origins of each member of Linda’s menagerie makes them expert assistants at Linda’s large shows.
It was one of her children’s teachers, a science instructor, who inspired Linda to embark on her new career. An experienced performer familiar with educational shows, “Captain Vic the Science Wizard” immediately saw the appeal Linda’s engaging demeanor and growing reptile collection would have to young audiences.
With her friend’s prodding and guidance Linda made her first appearance as The Jungle Lady in 2003. Now that she has hundreds of shows behind her, Linda’s performing repertoire has grown along with her animal collection. Thanks to Linda’s unique career path gatherings along Colorado’s front range can experience first-hand the diversity and mystery of the jungle.
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