Jessica Larios

Director

Jessica Larios is the founder, owner, and director of The Wildlife Company, located in Vista, California. Jessica and her company are dedicated to exposing people of all ages to the amazing animals with whom we share our planet. With their highly structured and themed programs, The Wildlife Company places special emphasis on the education of children, and on the importance of conservation and animal welfare. Their shows, which may be seen at schools, libraries, and private parties, have touched the lives of countless individuals.

Jessica began her professional career with animals before even graduating high school. During her senior year, she spent her afternoons fulfilling an internship position at the Minnesota Zoo. In that capacity, Jessica was fortunate enough to feed, train, and present shows with the park's 6 dolphins, and was furthermore involved in the rearing of the zoo's two baby dolphins.

After high school, Jessica attended North Dakota State University to pursue a degree in zoology. However, she soon realized that a more hands on approach to learning would be better suited for her quest to work with exotics. In 1995 Jessica was accepted into the highly competitive EATM (Exotic Animal Training and Management) program at Moorpark college. This one of a kind program allowed Jessica to work with variety of animals including camels, lemurs, macaques, gibbons, and ocelots, to name but a few.

Jessica's completion of the EATM program left her fully prepared as a permitted wildlife educator to start her own business. In 1999, after two years of employment at a facility similar to the one she now owns and operates, Jessica founded The Wildlife Company. With the help of her coati, kinkajou, chinchilla, boa constrictor, and macaw, Jessica's new business did 31 shows in its first year. Now 7 years later, The Wildlife Company has a collection of over 40 animals and does over 300 shows a year.

Many of the animals maintained by The Wildlife Company have been rescues, confiscations from Fish and Game, owner relinquished animals, and non-releasable native mammals. Proper care and enrichment for such a large and diverse group of animals has proven a full time job for Jessica, who over the years has been assisted by both full time employees and volunteers, all of whom have proven just as dedicated to their cause as Jessica herself.

Jessica's work doesn't end when her shows are done. Instead, she spends a great deal of her time working closely with numerous national and international organizations dedicated to the betterment of animal welfare and conservation education. She sits on the board of directors for the Association of Professional Wildlife Educators, an institution with goals to maintain the highest standards for wildlife education professionals. Additionally, Jessica was deeply involved in spearheading IAWA (The International Animal Welfare Association), which deals with legislative issues relating to exotic animal ownership.

In an effort to stay up to date on current developments in animal husbandry and behavior, Jessica, on behalf of The Wildlife Company, is a member in both the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) and the ABMA (Animal Behavior Management Alliance). She has even had the opportunity to take two trips to Africa, during which she was able to observe and photograph many of the animals she works so hard to protect in their natural, untainted environments.

The Wildlife Company, as it exists today, serves as a constant reminder to all that hard work and dedication go a long way in the pursuit of achieving one's goal. For Jessica, sharing her knowledge and understanding of exotic animals with others has become more than a passion, but a way of life as well. Despite the long road that has led her to where she is, Jessica is more than content in knowing that everyday she is sending an important message to children and adults alike. A message about conservation, the animals themselves, and the vital role that we all play in insuring their continued survival.