SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A dream came true for at 17-year-old girl at a South Florida zoo.
“I think my favorite was the snake. I love snakes,” Hallie Blair said.
Blair got to hold Prince the python after Make-a-Wish South Florida granted her wish to get up close and personal with the animals at Zoo Miami, Tuesday.
“I want to be a zoologist and work at a zoo,” she said.
“Come here, Malcom. Over here, buddy,” said Ron Magill.
Magill, the zoo’s goodwill ambassador, took Blair and her family, who are from Wichita, Kansas, on a private tour.
“He’ll eat these carrots until he poops orange, so don’t worry about giving him too many carrots,” Magill said.
Feeding the giraffes a bunch of carrots, and getting to talk to Peggy the elephant, Blair has struggled with a severe form of cystic fibrosis, and said her dream was to see things the public doesn’t get to see.
“I chose Zoo Miami because it’s one of the biggest in the United States,” she said.
“For a young person who faces challenges, to forget about those challenges, very valuable and very important thing we can do for our kids,” said Magil.
She visited with a family of primates and scratched the neck of a giant 500-pound Galapagos tortoise.
“Animals have always been my thing, especially exotic animals, and so it’s been my dream to work with them,” said Blair.
Magil said many times animals sense things humans don’t, and that relaxes people and brings them joy.
“And I think humans themselves put their walls down, put their guard down, they feel safe around certain animals, and Hallie is one of those people,” Magill said. “She has a special connection with animals, and I think, the good vibes that animals bring, hopefully help her to face those challenges.”
Blair said she wants to visit every zoo in the U.S.
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