Meet Bayou, the star of Happy Hollow’s new alligator exhibit
The newest animal on display at Happy Hollow Park & Zoo has a heck of a smile. He’s Bayou, an American alligator rescued a few years ago from the Sacramento delta. And while the public will get its first look at Bayou when his exhibit opens Saturday, he’s not exactly new.
The alligator first came to Happy Hollow as part of its training program in 2013, and he’s been working with trainers Lori Morper and Chris Juarez since they could pick him up in their arms. That wouldn’t be wise today, as Bayou is about 5½ feet long and weighs 75 pounds and will probably grow to be 10-12 feet long.
He recognizes his trainers when they wear pink camouflage vests and perks up at the sound of their voices. “He’s way more intelligent than people give alligators credit for,” Morper said.
While some of Bayou’s training has involved the use of treats — in this case thawed mice, rats, chicken or fish — and a clicker, he’s not being trained to perform tricks like a dog or a seal. It’s more about making it easier to get him from one place to another, like into his night house or a specially designed crate in case he needs medical attention or there’s a problem in his regular enclosure.
“It’s all about his choice,” Juarez said. “We’re never going to make him do something he doesn’t want to do.”
And that’s not always the case with alligators. Juarez explained that when untrained alligators need to be moved, that usually means having someone jump on the alligator, restrain him and have his jaws taped shut. But that’s never been the case for Bayou, who was named for the swampy regions in the Southeast where American alligators flourish.
Following Saturday’s opening, Bayou’s regular feedings will be at 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and the public can watch his trainers work with him. “It’ll be great to have an active element going on for families that are visiting the zoo at that time in the afternoon,” said Zoo Manager Shannon Heimer.
Bayou was originally intended to join the animal exhibits in 2015 when he had grown too big to continue being part of Happy Hollow’s education programs. But delays in designing and building his $400,000 enclosure pushed his debut back three years. ( For full disclosure, my wife is executive director of Happy Hollow Foundation, which raises money to support zoo programs, including Bayou’s exhibit.)
READY, SET, FANIME!
» With Memorial Day weekend, you can expect to see a cadre of colorful characters roaming around downtown San Jose for FanimeCon, the annual celebration of the Japanese animation style and all the pop culture associated with it. The convention runs Friday through Monday and is filled with gaming, music, panels and other fan activities at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, with some events at the Fairmont San Jose and the DoubleTree Hotel.
It’s a great opportunity to people-watch downtown, and if you want to get more involved, check things out at www.fanime.com.
MUSICAL SURPRISE »
Think symphonic music is dead? Think again. Acclaimed pianist Seong— Jin Cho is playing a Memorial Day concert for the Steinway Society on Monday — it happens to also be his 24th birthday — at the 1,100- seat California Theatre. As of Thursday afternoon, only a couple dozen balcony seats remained for the 2:30 p.m. show.
And Symphony Silicon Valley’s program of “Joe Hisaishi in Concert: Music from the Studio Ghibli films of Hayao Miyazaki” sold out five perofrmances at the Center the Performing Arts, which seats 2,600 people. Do the math. It adds up to popular programming.