Meet the Team
Tyler King
Founder & Animal Educator
Tyler’s fascination with reptiles and amphibians started at a very young age and has followed him throughout his life. As a kid, he was known to sneak snakes into the house tucked inside his shirt, sometimes successfully, at least until one unexpectedly appeared from a sleeve or neckline and gave his mom a surprise!
That childhood curiosity grew into a lifelong passion for learning about, caring for, and sharing animals with others. Over the years, Tyler has kept a wide variety of reptiles and amphibians, and has presented educational demonstrations for children featuring both exotic animals and native species.
With multiple years of experience working with children in educational settings, Tyler understands how powerful hands-on learning can be. He created King Animal Encounters to bring together his love of animals and education, giving children the opportunity to see animals up close, ask questions, make connections to what they are learning, and experience the sense of wonder that first sparked his own fascination with the natural world.
Through every encounter, Tyler hopes to encourage curiosity, respect for wildlife, and a lifelong appreciation for the incredible animals that share our world.
Jessica King
Educator & Curriculum Development
Jessica brings more than 15 years of experience in education and a lifelong love for wildlife and the natural world to King Animal Encounters. Throughout her career as an educator, she has seen firsthand how curiosity, exploration, and meaningful experiences can turn a lesson into something children truly remember.
As an integral part of developing King Animal Encounters’ curriculum-based programs, Jessica helps ensure that each experience is not only exciting and engaging, but also purposeful. She works to connect our animal encounters with grade-level learning goals and North Carolina science standards, helping transform an up-close experience with an animal into an opportunity for deeper learning.
Her experience in the classroom provides an important perspective in everything from program development to the curriculum and student workbooks that accompany our encounters. Jessica understands the needs of both students and teachers and helps us create programs that are practical for the classroom while still capturing the excitement and wonder of meeting incredible animals face-to-face.
For Jessica, King Animal Encounters is an opportunity to combine her love of education with her appreciation for all things wild, encouraging children to ask questions, explore the natural world, and become lifelong learners.