I knew Jack from my childhood neighborhood. He had a permit to keep wild animals at his home. Over the years he lived there he kept numerous exotic animals. I have many good memories of playing with and viewing several of his pets. He provided us with a football helmet and let us go into the cage and wrestle his bear. On one occasion he loaded up his pet lion cub and some neighborhood kids into the back of a station wagon and drove over to a wooded park in Bonner Springs to hike. The lion followed us like a dog and loved to swat at our legs as we were walking. To say I was nervous going to and from that excursion sitting in the back of the car would be an understatement. I remember another time in Jack's backyard when I had to pull that same lion cub off of my friend Mike who had freaked out about the lion and had tried to jump onto a tree limb to escape. The lion jumped up and sunk his teeth into Mikes stomach and hung there until I was able to pull it off. I still proudly show the scar I received on my back from the lion clawing me. He had many other animals that he cared for including an ocelot and several different monkees. He always made time for us to see the animals and never seemed bothered by us always wanting to see a new addition.
Thanks for the memories, Jack. RIP
