THE BALLOON MAN

Zebra, camels take break in Watsonville: Visitors head to next performance this week


Three camels and a zebra are among the animals in a menagerie feeding in pens along Riverside Drive in Watsonville on Monday. The animals are part of Circo Hermanos Caballero, which performed under the big top at the site recently. City officials permitted the circus to keep the animals in Watsonville until the next show. (Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel)
By Donna Jones - Santa Cruz Sentinelsantacruzsentinel.com
August 7, 2012
WATSONVILLE - When Circo Hermanos Caballero rolled up its big top after a run in Watsonville in July, the circus left behind a few of its performers in a vacant lot next to Annieglass on Riverside Drive.
The trio of camels, the zebra, the donkey and the pygmy ponies won't be there much longer. They have a gig in Denver next week.
A crew will begin moving the circus animals out in the next couple of days, said circus spokesman Bill Mendoza.
The traditional circus performed in Watsonville July 13-17 and 20-24, but had nothing scheduled for a few weeks after that.
Assistant City Manager Marcela Tavantzis said the city and the property owner gave the circus owners permission to keep the menagerie at the lot until Friday. A caretaker stayed on the site as well to care for the penned animals.
"It was exciting," said Annie Morhauser, the owner of Annieglass. "How often to you see a zebra and three camels in Watsonville?"
Morhauser said a circus shows up every year, but this was the first time for Circo Hermanos Caballero. It gave her some new ideas for color, she said. So don't be surprised to see some lime green, pink and purple popping up in her collection.
"It was inspiring," she said. "We were happy to have them."

 

Three camels and a zebra are among the animals in a menagerie feeding in pens along Riverside Drive in Watsonville on Monday. The animals are part of Circo Hermanos Caballero, which performed under the big top at the site recently. City officials permitted the circus to keep the animals in Watsonville until the next show. (Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel)