Why Did the Nile Crocodile Come to Acton?

It was like a studio safari at ActonTV last Friday as the local public access provider filmed the next episode of its popular Animal Adventures program. 

Featuring ActonTV Production Manager Shane Brown and local animal conservationist and educator Ed Laquidara, Animal Adventures invites a studio audience of children to learn about and interact with the program's other guest stars -- an array of interesting and exotic animals from Laquidara's family zoo and rescue center over in Bolton. 

The upcoming episode will feature a handful of animals, ranging from a young Nile Crocodile to Laquidara's two Newfoundlands. 

Along with the children and animals interacting, a highlight of the show is the banter between Brown and Laquidara, which often introduces interesting tidbits. A few from last filming include: 

• The light-colored ferrets commonly seen as housepets are not found in the wild. They're a domesticated relative of the European polecat and the black-footed ferret, which is an endangered species native to North America. 
• When animals are genetically manipulated to alter a particular characteristic -- say, the color in a red-orange iguana, for instance -- it's possible that other attributes, such as mood or temperament, can also be affected. 
• Running zig-zag might not be the best way to escape an alligator or crocodile. They're not typically as fast as we're generally led to believe, and they're able to turn very quickly, according to Laquidara, who has helped gauge the animals' speed.