The Wildlife Festival on at Evergreen Park this weekend

“You can pet a wallaby here. We have a hedgehog, we have porcupines, we have a pig and we have a sloth named Linus.”

Clevett says the animals are housed in enclosures similar to what are found in zoos. They are heated, lit, and there is space for the animals to move and explore.

He thinks there is a lot people can take from an event like this.

“We, as people, are drawn to animals, drawn to nature.”

“We’ve had so many incredible experiences this year with touring around (like) someone facing their fear and touching or holding a snake for the first time or a kid whose favourite animal is a sloth and has never seen one before (and) their face lights up.”

Clevett says they have also been able to help people with a terminal illness who had always wanted to see a sloth.

He adds a show like this can give people more understanding when it comes to nature.

“We talk a lot about conservation. We talk about eco-tourism and how someone standing on the side of a road with a baby sloth offering photo ops is not ethical because that is an animal that has been taken from the wild.”

“We talk about responsible pet ownership. If someone comes in and their kid is begging for a pet snake or gecko, we’re going to give them some things to think about so they can really, really decide if that is the right fit for their family.”

The festival is put on by two Calgary-based organizations: the YYC Nature & Education Centre and a non-profit group called Cobb’s Exotic Animal Rescue.

It will include three different displays: Diversity of Living Things, This is Africa and Journey to the Amazon.

It is open until 6:30 p.m. Friday evening for general admission and 7 to 9 Friday night for adults only.

The festival will also be open from 11-6 Saturday and 10-5 Sunday.

A link to buy tickets can be found here.

by Curtis Galbraith

The Wildlife Festival on at Evergreen Park this weekend

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