Long ago, people and animals lived in harmony, working side by side. Horse gave rides. Wolf protected the people at night. Cat caught mice. Soon came machines for work, weapons for protection and chemicals for pests. Cities grew. Concrete and steel pushed nature farther and further away. One day the people realized something was missing animals!

Thus, Silly Safari Shows began and the people have been closer to nature ever since.

As a boy, Jungle John dreamed of being a veterinarian. When he went off to college to stake his fortune, he quickly realized that he had to first spend one. As the interest began to grow on his student loans, Jungle John discovered that working with animals at the zoo was for him.

First, Jungle John trained hawks, eagle, owls, parrots and his favorite vultures, with bird shows travelling around the country. Soon after graduation (with a B.S. in Biology from Wofford College), he married his beautiful wife, Emma, and settled in Atlanta, GA where they both worked at the zoo working with animals in classrooms and on the main stage. This love of animals, people and the stage eventually brought him to Indianapolis.

Jungle John worked at the Indianapolis Zoo for five years. Eventually, using his theatrical style, he started the zoo’s outreach program, and from that program was born his own company. When John left the zoo he was doing kid’s radio shows and everyone who did that had to have a funny name; he was called Jungle John.

Two hours south, another seed was growing...Alligator Aaron also loved people, fun and animals. Alligator Aaron, known only as Aaron then, had long been an animal nut he even owned a pet store for a time. He loved monitor lizards, alligators, even furry and feathered animals! It was just a matter of time before Aaron and John met...

Aaron always had animals around his house lots of animals. He raised orphaned squirrels, showed Doberman Pinchers, and of course had a fantastic collection of reptiles from all over the world. He loved people and nature so much that he graduated from college with a degree to teach science and social studies. But Aaron had another love amusement parks and he eventually went to work for one, managing live entertainment and water park operations.

In 1997, Alligator Aaron hired Jungle John for Six Flags Halloween weekends producing the Creepiest Animal Show Ever. It had run for three years when Alligator Aaron decided to start his own business too a business that would incorporate his love for animals, Halloween and special events. He and Jungle John were a perfect team.

Alligator Aaron moved his animals in with Jungle John’s menagerie and the two friends have been inseparable ever since. Together they reorganized Silly Safaris and have been doing shows everywhere. Just last year they visited over 10 states and led over 250,000 people on Silly Safaris.

At long last, people, animals and fun have been reunited in one package Silly Safaris!