Bond with animals helped couple fall for each other

 

Photos and story by Mimi Pollack

RAMONA, California — Gil and Nancy Riegler, owners of the Oasis Dairy Camel Farm in Ramona, have had a special bond with animals since they were young, and it has grown over their many years of working with them. They also have a special bond with each other. On their 34 acre farm, they live in a cooperative and loving way with their numerous and varied animals.

Gil Riegler, 53, was born in Canada, but moved to Israel at the age of 4. He lived on a farm where the animals were his best friends. Other farm children learned to scare off crows, but Gil made one into his pet. The crow would follow him around when he rode his horse.  Later in his life, he developed an affinity for camels. He has spent the last 25 years working with them and he learned early on that camels, when forced to work, will spit, such as the pyramid camels in Egypt. When camels are treated humanely, they do not spit.

Nancy Riegler, 52, was born in the Sunland Tujunga communities of Los Angeles. She knew from an early age that she wanted to work with animals. While she was at Moorpark Community College in a program called EATAM [exotic animal training and management], she took a summer job with the Cheep Thrills Exotic Bird Show, a Peep Show Rated “G”. It was here that she learned how to work with parrots and do entertainment shows. Nancy learned effective, but compassionate ways to teach the birds, and to communicate with them.

Nancy later worked for the Wild Animal Park before eventually creating her own menagerie, which she took on tour to schools, libraries and county fairs.

Perhaps it was beshert (destined) that Nancy and Gil would meet each other at a county fair and, attracted to each other’s gentle, intuitive, natures, eventually fall in love.

They traveled together to places where they learned more about animals, including Israel’s Negev Desert where from the Azazme tribe of Bedouins, they learned even more camel lore.

They decided to live in Ramona, where they purchased 34 acres of land and built a home, not only for themselves, but for the animals that they so love. In addition to 22 camels, they have 10 birds–8 of which star in a special show — 27 turkeys, 10 chickens, 2 mini donkeys, 6 mini sheep, 12 koi fish, 2, cats, 3 dogs and 3 horses.

One of those horses is Tiger Lili, whom Nancy, an accomplished equestrian, likes to show off.  She suggests Tiger Lili was destined for her life at the Oasis Dairy Camel Farm because if you look closely at this horse’s flank, you will see the form of a camel outlined in white.

Oasis Dairy Camel Farm holds public tours once a month, except in the summer when they are at various fairs, including the San Diego County Fair in June. Gil enjoys giving the public the opportunity to interact with his camels and explain how he works with them. The tour also includes a bird show where Nancy shows off her talented and charismatic birds. The next public tour will be offered on Sunday, October 19^th from 1:00 to 4:00. Registration is recommended. Prices are $10 for adults and $10 for a camel ride. Children can ride for $5.

In addition, the Rieglers manufacture and sell various products made in their own kitchen from camel’s milk, including soaps, lotions and lip balms.  They also import chocolates from Dubai made with camel milk. They can be purchased the day of the tour or online.

Because Gil and Nancy feel it is so important to introduce people to their partnership with animals, they hope to start having more public tours, hands on clinic series, and overnight options down the road. .

Besides the tour in October, they will also be open to the public for their Pomegranate Festival which will be held November 22^nd and 23^rd. They will show what life is like on a camel farm and there will be opportunities to feed the camels. There will be contests and demonstrations, and maybe even a turkey stampede. There will also be a food truck vendor. Tickets are $15. For more information, visit their website at www.cameldairy.com

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Pollack is a freelance writer with a special interest in animals.  She may be contacted via mimi.pollack@sdjewishworld.com