First, they saw the giraffes up close. "It's so cool," said Leslie Jarrett.
Leslie and her family of 7 traveled to South Florida from Fredericksburg, Virginia for a behind-the-scenes tour of Zoo Miami. She's not squeamish around wildlife, unlike "some people," she smirked, poking fun at her mom.
Last year, Leslie was diagnosed with osteosarcoma — bone cancer.
She has since gone through multiple surgeries, including a knee replacement, radiation treatments, and chemotherapy.
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Now, Leslie is in remission. And her thoughts are on the wildlife she is getting to feed, touch, and even speak to — especially the kinds that slither.
Zoo Miami spokesman Ron Magill served as her tour guide, he surprised her with a large yellow python.
"When you see children like Leslie make that connection, you see them after the challenges that they've faced, you see what animals can do for people. Animals can make people happy."
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Reptiles are Leslie's favorite. "That was awesome!" she said of the python encounter.
The trip is thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida. Leslie hopes to study reptiles for a living someday and said she feels more comfortable around animals than people.
"Reptiles are weird," she said. "They get me."
