Our Story

Long ago, people and animals lived in harmony, working side by side. Horses 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 Safaris Shows began and the people have been closer to nature ever since.

As a boy, Amazon (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, Amazon John discovered that working with animals at the zoo was for him. First, Amazon (Jungle) John trained hawks, eagles, owls, parrots and his favorite birds; vultures, with bird shows traveling 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 Atlanta. They took animals into classrooms and on the zoo's main stage. This love of animals, people and the stage eventually brought him to Indianapolis. Amazon (Jungle) John worked at the Indianapolis Zoo for five years. Eventually, using his theatrical style, he started the zoo's outreach program. Creating the zoo's successful outreach program gave him the experience to begin his own company, PetWorks.

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". But as Silly Safaris grew, he kept running into the Delware Jungle John. So, in 2006, he changed his name to Amazon John.

Amazon John reorganized Silly Safaris and together with his great staff, like Coyote Chris, Dingo Danielle, Indiana Joni, and Red Fox Rachel, they have been doing shows everywhere.

The success generated by the positive human-animal interactions in a Silly Safaris LIVE Animal Show made it impossible for Amazon (Jungle) John and his funologists to see all people who were requesting animal shows.

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

Annually, there are over 2,500 Silly Safaris LIVE Animal Shows.