A man for all species

When Martha Stewart dubbed Marc Morrone her “pet keeper,” she only touched on his enthusiasm and passion for all animals — wild or domesticated, insects or fish, furry or slimy.

In his new memoir, “A Man for all Species: The Remarkable Adventures of an Animal Lover and Expert Pet Keeper,” Morrone, an Oceanside resident who owns Rockville Centre’s renowned Parrots of the World pet store, offers a heartfelt slice of his adventures in working with his menagerie, local and national animal traders, and of course, Martha Stewart.

A central figure in his community and across Long Island for his work on News 12’s Animal Island and the author of a popular column, Morrone is instantly recognized as the genuine and thought-provoking person that comes across in his memoir. Locals will surely enjoy meeting him when he visits Huntington’s Book Revue on July 24. His eyes light up when he describes a favorite story that made it into his book.

“I had to go into New York City to talk to a sheik, and he wanted to know what was wrong with his two birds,” Morrone said. “I couldn’t tell him because it was going to violate some international business deal. So I had to think fast and come up with a good excuse that satisfied all parties involved, including the birds. It was so intense to me. I’ll never forget it.”

“A Man for All Species” chronicles Morrone’s initial interest in insects and birds, his childhood in Cold Spring Harbor, and his later experiences in transporting animals to and from locations all over the world. This led to various animal-related hijinks (some more harrowing than others) as he captured loose porcupines in an airport, saved a bunny from a Burmese python and trained falcons.

“I started working with animals for selfish reasons,” Morrone says of the varied nature of his current occupation and interests. “I do it because I want to learn. Then, if anybody wants to learn from my experience, that’s fine. In the process of learning, I feel that it’s bad for me to learn and not teach, so if I’m going to learn I can’t hold it inside, I have to help people with it.”