A snake, owl and armadillo take over newsroom

There were wild animals in the home of the Dayton Daily News and WHIO-TV this morning and this time, we are not talking about the journalists.

Naturalists Doug Feist and Melinda Voss of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden introduced WHIO-TV anchor John Paul and Dayton Daily News blogger Amelia Robinson to Mozart, an African gray hornbill; Jasper, a barn owl; Rose, a screaming hairy armadillo, and Terra, a Dumerils ground boa.

The animal drew a crowd as their human handlers promoted Phase 4 of the zoo’s Africa exhibit.

Opening June 27, the exhibit will feature African “painted” dogs, an African Savannah. It will also be home to gazelles, lesser kudu (a type of antelope), and large African birds.

Watch Robinson interact with a boa in the video above. More videos are coming. Including one of John Paul practicing bird calls.

Contact this blogger at arobinson@DaytonDailyNews.com or Twitter.com/DDNSmartMouth

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