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If musical chairs and pass the parcel just don’t do it for your kids any more when birthday parties come around, it might be time to take some drastic action and call in an expert. Jungle Dave, a hirsute, hiberno version of the late Steve Irwin, will happily take his travelling menagerie all the way from his pet shop in Tullow, Co Carlow, right into your living room.

There, fearless children are draped in 16ft-long snakes as scorpions scurry up and down their arms and tarantulas nestle in their hair. Intrepid infants interact with snapping turtles, iguanas, water dragons and a chatty cockatoo. The whole experience is completely safe and the animals are impeccably trained and comfortable around people – even if the same can’t be said for the children. See www.davesjungle.com or tel: 059-9180569. The brave girl pictured (right) with Damien the Burmese python is Saskia Butler, Jungle Dave’s niece.