Exhibit at the Philadelphia Flower Show allows visitors to interact with butterflies
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Philadelphia Flower Show is in full bloom and one experience lets visitors interact with thousands of butterflies.
John Dailey's job at the show comes with a big responsibility.
"I'm the Chief Butterfly Wrangler," Dailey said.
Dailey has been helping butterflies soar and showing visitors how to feed them while inside the netted exhibit at the show for about 12 years now.
Visitors of all ages get the chance to get up close to more than 50 species of winged insects from all over the world as Dailey fills them in on some fun facts.
"That's a paper kite," Dailey said while helping a boy handle butterflies. "Those come from India. And that is called an owl and that comes from Costa Rica. So, you're a very international boy."
Dailey wasn't always around the colorful creatures. He used to be in tech in Silicon Valley before retiring and bonding over butterflies with his wife.
"I set up for our anniversary, a netted environment in our backyard," Dailey said. "And it just kept going from there."
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Him and his wife are now the largest commercial butterfly exhibitor in the country, allowing visitors to witness the fluttering beauties.
"They're so colorful and there's so many different kinds, different shapes as well," Vee Sanchez said while butterflies landed on her arm. "Everybody can enjoy them."
"As an adult they'll typically live 10 days," Dailey said.
While their lives are fleeting, Dailey hopes memories with the butterflies will live on.
The butterfly exhibit along with the entire Philadelphia Flower Show will be open until March 10.
