Document text
1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Seed donation helps grow SOU program Ashland High School named among best in the state High school Student of the Month: Jackson Richmond Ashland At Home picked for national study How great weather can make a person feel awful Education Ashland High School named among best in the state High school Student of the Month: Jackson Richmond Senior party fundraising starts The birdman of Bellview More to college admissions than just grades and test scores Environment The birdman of Bellview Controlled burn planned for Ashland watershed on Friday Mt. Ashland Ski Area celebrates snow GMO opponents can join Jackson County in defending ban Business Seed donation helps grow SOU program Local home brewing scene continues to ferment Raising pot could lift all power rates Ride & Drive: 2015 VW Golf R Silvio Calabi: Kia Soul mixes practicality with personality Politics and elections Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out today Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Successor Kate Brown must run for election in 2016 Sadness, relief greet Kitzhaber resignation locally State News Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Federal investigation of Kitzhaber to focus on potential financial crimes Gov. Kitzhaber announces resignation Read Gov. John Kitzhaber's statement on his resignation Legislative leaders join in call for Kitzhaber resignation (updated) Nation - World Obituaries Death Notices Richard Nudelman, 70 years Lois Gunsolus Wilson Michael Martin Gandee Death Notices Shareable Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society This $1 million Mercedes is like an armored private jet for the road Sports Latest Stories Fantasy Sports: Youth is the way to go when stocking up at second A man among boys Pair of Raiders earn CCC honors AHS snowboard team dominates SL meet It's the Knights' night High school Malcolm's big night powers Ashland past N. Eugene Grizzlies suffer another tough loss; SOU softball team sweeps BC Millers smother Grizz on senior night Crater girls, boys cruise to victory in Midwestern League blowouts Grizz boys' upset bid falls just short in loss to Churchill Southern Oregon University A man among boys Pair of Raiders earn CCC honors It's the Knights' night No. 8 Raider women look to keep momentum going at home Much on the line for SOU men Voices Latest Stories Letters to the Editor, Feb. 24 Landgren cartoon: Old Man Winter Our View: Cellular dissonance Council Corner: Volunteerism and its impact in Ashland Honoré: GOP’s health care strategy Editorial Our View: Cellular dissonance Our View: Keep pot programs separate Our View: A welcome decision Our view: GOP's last gasp on low carbon fuel bill Our view: Mt. Ashland shines Letters Letters to the Editor, Feb. 24 Feb. 20: Letters at length Feb. 18: Letters to the editor Letters to the Editor, Feb. 14 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 11 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Legal poisons in our waters Chris Honoré: Public schools: separate, still unequal Guest Opinion: Why so anxious to tax marijuana? Herb Rothschild Jr.: A good day for peace Guest Opinion: A message to my health care colleagues Columns Council Corner: Volunteerism and its impact in Ashland Honoré: GOP’s health care strategy Dionne: Opponents ignore the impressive facts on ACA Relocations: The blood on our hands On the road to a Grecian spurn Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories 'Much Ado About Nothing' kicks off OSF's 2015 season Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Moore's journey is moving in 'Still Alice' A look at the first plays SOU presents 'The Glass Menagerie' Theater Ticket Availability SOU's 'The Glass Menagerie' is memory — and memorable Ticket Availability Joyous re-launch of 'Dames at Sea' Ticket Availability Music Victor D. Infante: Just in time for Valentine’s Day, some favorite breakup songs The Farr Side: Smith dominates, Beck surprises at Grammys Frisell brings fine-tuned act to Armory Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Movies Andrea Honaker: The tight race for Best Picture Movie review: Second dip in ‘Hot Tub Time Machine’ fails to live up to original Movie review: Kevin Costner helps make ‘McFarland, USA’ a good movie Movie review: Missed opportunities mar ‘The Duff’ Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories How great weather can make a person feel awful Wry & Ginger: Nobody nose sternutation consternation Donna Knight: Going through priceless memories Shayne Looper: Whoever exalts himself will be humbled Dr. Elaine Heffner: Oscars and reality Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Our View: Cellular dissonance ... Calendar: Tuesday, Feb. 24 ... Council Corner: Volunteerism and its impact in Ashland ... Our View: Cellular dissonance ... Calendar: Tuesday, Feb. 24 ... Council Corner: Volunteerism and its impact in Ashland ... ASHLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT The birdman of Bellview World renowned bird-handler returns to school, animals in tow Comment By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Feb. 23, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Feb 23, 2015 at 6:42 PM By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Feb. 23, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Feb 23, 2015 at 6:42 PM » RELATED CONTENT • Hail to the queen • Wildlife Rescuer Joe Krathwohl » Social News Face contorted, eyes bulging, a curly-haired girl sitting in the front row leaned back as far as she could, but not quite far enough to feel safe, so she traded places with a classmate about 10 rows back. Others squirmed and gasped but held their ground as Joe Krathwohl, otherwise known as “The Birdman of Vegas,” explained why the false water cobra slithering all over his left arm needed to be handled with extreme caution, especially for those like Krathwohl who are allergic to the reptile’s venom. Krathwohl took his traveling free-flight bird show to the Newswatch 12 Sportsmen’s & Outdoor Recreation Show Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but before that the world-renowned animal handler, who has appeared on the "Late Show with David Letterman" and "The Tonight Show," stopped by Bellview Elementary School in Ashland on Friday morning to show about 50 fourth-graders a few of his most spectacular animal friends. Krathwohl was making his second stop in as many years to Bellview after the school was awarded a visit by winning a contest last year. The famed trainer who performed at the Tropicana Resort in Las Vegas for 15 years contacted the school about a month ago to let them know he’d be back in the area for the Sportsmen’s show and could stop by again, if they would have him. Bellview science coordinator Ginny Sagal said they would — fourth-graders there are currently studying bird adaptations as part of a unit study — and on Friday another group of Ashland elementary students were screaming in wonder or terror or both as Krathwohl patiently explained, over a constant shroud of commotion, the science behind each animals’ idiosyncrasies. On Friday, Krathwohl brought three animals to show the students, who gasped as each was removed from their storage containers: the snake, which is actually not related to a cobra, a Goliath bird-eating spider and a bateleur eagle. The snake was up first, and the students’ reaction as Krathwohl lifted it out of a bucket unofficially measured about 3.2 on the Richter scale. As someone who started performing with animals in San Francisco at age 16, Krathwohl has experienced similar reactions about a million times before and was unfazed, ticking off facts with a relaxed smile as he calmly handled a snake that could send him to the hospital with a single primordial snap. Krathwohl’s beady-eyed co-star did its part, even flaring its neck on cue — a visualization of its namesake. “You will notice that I handle these guys very, very carefully,” Krathwohl said as he removed the lid to the bucket. “I’ve had a lot of practice and I’ve had this snake for about 12 years now so I know him really well and that’s why I feel comfortable handling him out here with no gloves or anything like that.” Later, Krathwohl placed the false cobra on a table and began stroking its head to stimulate the flare-out reaction. Bingo. “There we go,” he said as the snake’s head appeared to flatten out, “that’s pretty good. Now, it’s OK if you guys come forward a little bit in order to be able to see this.” The children cautiously shuffled toward the table and made a semi-circle around the brown-green reptile, which didn’t seem to mind until an abrupt banging sound a few feet away caught Krathwohl's attention. “Don’t bang on the ground, OK,” he said. “The snake feels all these vibrations.” Next, Krathwohl introduced the class to the spider which, as he explained, doesn’t usually, if ever, eat birds; however, one happened to be doing just that when it was first discovered by explorers. The largest spider in the world in terms of sheer mass — another has a larger leg span but is much skinnier — the Goliath can grow up to 12 inches from leg tip to leg tip and weighs about six ounces. It does produce venom, but its bite doesn’t do much damage to humans. The spider’s relative harmlessness did little to assuage the fourth-graders’ heebie-jeebies as Krathwohl walked down the center aisle with the Goliath, standing in an open plastic container, and explained how it pumps fluid through its boneless legs in order to walk. Or (gulp) run. This system is remarkably efficient, Krathwohl explained, making the Goliath agile enough to capture lizards or even mice. A video proving the latter, which mouse-fans should avoid at all costs, is available at nationalgeographic.com. The Goliath also has a secret weapon: It can rapidly shed its tiny hairs to ward off predators. This may sound harmless, but “it’s like breathing in fiberglass dust,” said Krathwohl. The eagle proved to be a worthy grand finale as Krathwohl, protected by a special glove on his left arm, carefully lifted Sheeba out of its crate and held the majestic, Tanzania-born bird up for all to see. Ooohs and aaahs followed. With a thick dome of black feathers for a head, Sheeba’s tiny red, rooster-like face appeared to be peaking out of a dark hole. “It’s awesome,” a boy shouted. And it was, especially when Krathwohl lifted his arm to shoulder level, prompting Sheeba to show off her 5-foot, 3-inch wingspan. “She came to the United States when she was only six months old and she has been in captivity here and doing programs ever since,” Krathwohl said. Sagal said Krathwohl’s appearance was a huge win for the school. She hopes it won’t be the last. “For him to come, it’s wonderful, especially because our next unit with the fourth-graders is adaptations,” she said. “It’s all really tied in and I thought this is wonderful because the students have the opportunity to see these birds and learn how each bird beak adapts to their environment, the food they eat, where they live. It all became a nice full-circle with them. I always love it if I can get people to come in, or they can go on field trips, because we do a lot hands-on experiments but to have someone like him come, it just means a lot more to them. “He is wonderful with the kids and that’s why I’m so happy that they got in touch with us and asked. Hopefully, this will be a yearly thing.” Joe Zavala can be reached at 541-776-4469 or [email protected]. By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Feb. 23, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Feb 23, 2015 at 6:42 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501