Bob Jenny was kind of an institution around here for many years. I first saw him back in the Dark Ages when I was a kid, on a local kid's show called 'Foreman Scotty'. Scotty was the foreman of the ranch, and one of the things he did at times was have Jenny on to talk about animals, primarily reptiles. Snakes, lizards, turtles, alligators. Over the years he did God knows how many programs for Scouts, schools, churches and anyone else who wanted the kids to learn about the critters.
He was a fine man, and was somewhere in his 70's(didn't catch the exact age when the news mentioned his death). He ran a nature center north of Oklahoma City, hopefully he had someone ready to take it over.
One instance I heard of was when he was out in the field with a Scout troop and one of the boys found a Gila monster. If you've never seen one, it's a truly ugly lizard, and one of only two venomous lizards in the world. Somehow in the pointing out and lecture the thing- slow moving most of the time, but can strike damn fast- managed to sink fangs into his hand. So he calmly detached it, put it back under a rock, and proceeded to give a demonstration of first aid for the bite of a poisonous reptile.
From what I understand, the kids were very impressed.
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i was sitting here working late in the eve, my thoughts wondered to my child hood and remembered Bob Jenny....in a scrap book in my closet from my elementary years is posted a little brochure about a reptile show at a church on Key Blvd back in the early 60's..i went and remember seeing Bob and all his snakes. I was thinking i would like to see him again and did a quick search ,,,the first thing i read was "Bob Jenny died today" my heart sank....as you live life on the down hill side of the hill you tend to want to reach back for those uphill days.
Thank you for your post. Back in the early O's i saw Bob at a show at the fair..i was manning a booth for our church and couldnt get over to see him, the crowd he attracted made it more than a short endeavor and I missed out. but i got to stand there and just watch him in action,,,a passion he had!
Talking about Forman Scotty, i over the last few years listend off and on to Danny Williams (Xavier T. Willard ) on Koma and though "i sure would like to meet him" yet i never did anything about it......got a text message the other day from my sis that he had taken his own life.
when i thought of Bob just now i also thought, now follow through or he'll be gone too.
my heart sank when i saw your post...the elementary kid in me mourns both of those gentlemen right now!!
Thanks for your words on Bob. You obviously valued him too.
cd
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