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Featured Member Critter Connections

Critter Connections

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4.34 
(6 reviews)
  • York, PA
  • Petting Zoo
  • Travels up to 300 miles
  • $170 for a one hour program.
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Our Hands-on Program

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A Birthday Program

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Our albino corn snake gets a hug from a birthday guest!

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Kids love the feeling of our tarantula on their skin.

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This girl is "eyeball to eyeball" with our blue-tongue skink!

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Kids think our critters are cool.

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One of our favorite snakes is our large red-tail boa.

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This is Mike holding our Argentinian boa named Matty.

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Children enjoy petting our rabbits and guinea pigs.

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Media Overview Reviews Booking Info
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Overview

COVID-19 PROGRAMS - During the pandemic we follow the social distancing and safety requirements in your area when providing our live programs. We are offering one-hour virtual animal programs via Zoom at half of our normal fee of $150. Please contact us to schedule a virtual program for $75.

In our in-person programs we provide hands-on, educational programs, featuring live snakes, lizards, turtles, rabbits, guinea pigs and insects.

We will tailor our programs to meet your needs and budget and our rates are very reasonable. We guarantee that your critter program for your child's next birthday, or other event, will be remembered for years to come! Visit our website for more information.


6 Reviews

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Nikki H. • May 9, 2015

Fantastic A++++

I booked Bob for my daughters 9th birthday party at home. I cannot tell you how impressed I was with the knowledge that was imparted to all of the children and even the adults during his program. He talked about each animal as he brought them out, allowing each child (who was comfortable) to hold the animal whether they were snakes, spiders, scorpions, turtles or birds. the kids LOVED every minute that he was there. Highest recommendation.

Hired as:
Children’s Party Entertainment, Educational Entertainment, Reptile Show
Critter Connections

Response from Critter Connections:

Thanks Nikki for your positive comments. We are very glad that your daughter and her friends enjoyed Bob and his reptile and bird. Your experience is similar to everyone who has Bob or me share our animals with you. We are pleased to be in our 10th year providing fun and educational reptile and bird programs for birthdays, child care centers, fairs, scouts, schools and other venues. Please contact us at 717-487-0032 or at mbteacher@comcast.net if you would like to schedule another program.
Sincerely,
Mike Buleza, manager Bob's Critters.

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J G. • September 18, 2021

Awful care of animals.

The show that I visited was one of the most appalling things I've ever seen.
Kids were literally tackling the rabbit they had, putting all of their weight on the poor thing. They were flipping over little tortoises to look at their bellies, and holding them just above the ground to watch their legs paddle. One kid very narrowly crushed one of these turtles.
Both presenters handed anyone (even VERY little kids) any snake, be it an incredibly delicate hatchling or the 20 lb boa constrictor. At one point, someone dropped the huge boa and it make a B-line to the rabbit pen, squeezing itself halfway through before one presenter tore it back out again. That didn't stop them from handing it to another unsupervised 8-year-old again, though.
One presenter kept handing snakes to people in groups who were clearly finnicky around snakes and geckos, and were being pressured by their friends (and now this guy). He would put them around their necks, when the snake would typically raise its head to get a view of the surroundings, getting its face very close to these stiff, frightened people's faces. These people usually started yelling and freaking out and pass on the snake very quickly.
Little kids were draping the smaller, 3 ft snakes over their necks and holding their heads and tails strained so that they didn't try to reposition themselves.
I don't mean to blame these kids, of course. They probably haven't ever held a turtle or snake before... because these presenters never taught them! They hand them an animal and turn around. And even when they could clearly see the mishandling of their animals, they turned a blind eye.

At one point, one presenter pulled off shedding skin off of an albino leopard gecko to make it look better. This is something that you should NEVER do. To find dozens of articles that agree, google "Should I remove my gecko's shed skin?" Note: He tried no other methods of shed removal.
One person asked him if this was right (I'm sure they knew it wasn't), pulling off their shed skin and all, and he said "Oh yeah, once it's shedding, you can rip it off."

I asked the other presenter about why their crested gecko was missing their tail, to which she replied "When their juveniles they sometimes drop them. They don't come back." When I kept asking why it dropped it (as it's a very well-known fact that they drop them only when they're threatened), she finally told me that it was probably a kid at another event.
I repeatedly asked that same person the goals of the company, if they have a mission, or if they are involved in any conservation efforts. Aside from the boss's "rattlesnake rehab" (something that could totally be a separate thing, unaffiliated with Critter Connections), they don't do anything to help these species, and they don't have a mission other than "Well, people think that these reptiles are yucky, so we're trying to make them think that they aren't." (which means absolutely nothing).

They don't control the people visiting the animals, endangers both parties an ENORMOUS amount. Please don't invite them to a birthday party or event of any sort to discourage this.

Hired as:
Petting Zoo
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Veronica F. • September 12, 2020

Booked for my son 1st birthday party

I booked this company for my sons 1st birthday party... the adults and kids had a great time enjoying the animals and we will most definitely be using them again.

Hired as:
Children’s Party Entertainment
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Denise • June 21, 2020

Amazing!

Thank you Kevin for hosting our sons 4th birthday party! You were great and everyone loved you! This was perfect for the amount of people that showed. Everyone had a chance to interact and take time with the critters. The animals/reptiles that were present were so adorable and of course the adults enjoyed it more than the children LOL! We can't wait to book you guys again for our future events! We appreciate you all as well as your time!!!

Hired as:
Children’s Party Entertainment
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Brittany A. • February 28, 2017

Late review but Bob was wonderful!!

Bob was very kind and impressive with his knowledge of not just the animals but of how the children and adults would react. We booked Bob a couple years ago for our daughters 7th birthday and he was wonderful!!! If I could give him more stars I would!!

Hired as:
Children’s Party Entertainment
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• August 15, 2015

Great Visit

Thank you for visiting our school last month. Turtles, snakes, birds, lizards, insects, and more. Big hit with my teachers and parents. Let's do it again next year :)

Hired as:
Reptile Show

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Booking Info

  • Profile
  • Set List
  • Influences
  • Setup Requirements
  • Social

Price Range: $170 for a one hour program.

Gig Length: 60 - 420 minutes

Languages: English

Insurance: $100,000 - We carry full liability insurance, certificate available upon request.

Website: Visit website

Phone Number: Call

What to Expect

In our formal programs (birthdays, child care centers, scouting programs, etc.) our presenters share their animals, one at a time, explaining each animal's physical traits, defense mechanisms, diet and proper care. We invite our audience to touch or hold each animal, and assist our them in overcoming any fears or apprehensions they may have. The children and adults may take turns holding the rabbits and guinea pigs on their laps throughout the entire program. We answer questions and encourage our audience to share their own experiences with animals.

In our informal programs (fairs, community day celebrations, etc.) we set up a table with our animals on display. Our guests may enjoy observing and holding our animals, asking questions, and may come and go as they please. We also set up a large enclosure with our tortoises, rabbits and guinea pigs where the children and adults may pet and hold these animals.

In our live, one-hour virtual program we show each animal on the camera on your computer, phone or tablet and explain a few facts as we answer any questions. Our virtual program is only $75.

Our manager, Mike, will tailor your program to your occasion, the ages and number of participants, location and budget. When you contact Mike by email or phone, he will discuss your options with you, obtain directions, a contact phone number and any other information needed. You may pay in cash or by check that day or you may send in your payment before the program.

Although we do not sell animals, we will direct people who are interested in acquiring an animal to suitable places to purchase them.

Our programs are educational, informative and, most importantly, a fun experience for everyone! We guarantee a memorable experience for all!

About

Our presenters are experienced educators and skilled animal presenters. They will be happy to offer a very exciting program for you with their animals. All of our programs are guaranteed to meet your satisfaction.

Our animals are captive born and very tame. They can be safely touched and held by adults and children of all ages.

Please contact us to learn more about us, schedule a program or ask a question . Mike, our manager, will be happy to assist you.

Additional Booking Notes

Our presenters will share our animals either indoors or outdoors (weather permitting). All we need is a table to set our boxes on, a cover or shade for our animals and guests, and a heated space in cold weather. In our formal programs, we prefer to present to audiences of 40 or less to allow for more touching time with our animals, but we will present to larger groups as well.

Services Offered

Petting Zoo Children’s Party Entertainment Educational Entertainment Reptile Show

Set List

Our presenters will bring a variety of animals to your event, including rabbits, guinea pigs, corn snakes, milk snakes, king snakes, ball pythons, red tailed boas, leopard geckos, fat tail geckos, crested geckos, blue tongue skinks, Schneider skinks, bearded dragons, plated lizards, Uromastyx lizards, crested geckos, red-footed tortoises, Russian tortoises, tarantulas, hissing cockroaches and scorpions. The exact animals are subject to availability, but we guarantee a full compliment of animals we know you will enjoy.

Influences & Inspiration

Mike and his other presenters are from York County, Pennsylvania, and love working with animals and sharing them with others. They have many years of experience in working with children of all ages and have their own fascinating collection of snakes, geckos, rabbits, guinea pigs, insects and turtles. They enjoy helping children and adults overcome any fears or anxieties they may have about interacting with their animals. Their mission is to instill in their audiences an understanding and appreciation of their fascinating, and often misunderstood, animals.

Setup Requirements

table, chair, shade

Social

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