Running Wild! Live-Animal Presentation February 7, 2011

Pitter, patter, swoosh, raaack. These are sounds visitors hear in the Desert Museum's Warden Oasis Theater during a live animal demonstration called Running Wild. A raccoon-like ringtail scampers across the stage, colorful macaws circle overhead, and stout porcupine waddles by. Bold images of the animals in desert, montane, marine and tropical forest habitats are projected on a large screen with educational text while animals scurry about the stage. To complete the experience, subtle music accompanies the action. The current educational focus of Running Wild is "Home Sweet Habitat." Visitors will learn how skunks and ringtails coexist in the Sonoran Desert, why people sometimes find porcupines and pelicans in Tucson, and why some local birds and mammals are endangered. The Running Wild demonstration was designed for people of all ages, and it has a strong appeal to children. The experience includes trivia questions about desert organisms, animals running loose on the stage, a multi-media approach, the opportunity to touch an animal, and a thirty-minute format.