Wildlife festival debuts in Strathmore

By John Watson Local Journalism initiative Reporter

Making a debut appearance in Strathmore over the weekend, locals had an opportunity to interact with exotic animals through the inaugural Strathmore Wildlife Festival.

The YYC Nature Centre partnered with Cobb’s Adventure Park and Little Ray’s Nature Centre to allow locals to experience unique animals that are not often seen in captivity, as well as to learn about the exotic animal industry. 

“We’re educating people about animals. We’ve got wallabies, we’ve got an armadillo, we’ve got an alligator … a combination of animals that people might not get to see up close in the wild,” said Jason Clevett, owner of the YYC Nature Centre and organizer of the festival. “We’re teaching people both to understand wildlife and conservation, but also what’s involved in the caring for a lot of these animals as pets.”

Many of the animals brought for the festival were rescues, with many unfortunately being from negligent former keepers.

Clevett explained that through festivals such as this, he can educate as many people as possible to help to reduce the number of rescues that have to be taken in.

“It’s an industry that we all wish didn’t exist because our goals as educators is to reduce the amount of animals in rescues by being preventative,” said Clevett. “These are living animals, they are a responsibility. It’s not like a board game or a video game that you finish and you’re done with it. These are 10, 15, 20-plus year commitments.”

Clevett hopes that by exposing the public to these animals, particularly children, it will inspire a love for the animals, for further conservation efforts and proper husbandry.

“We’re trying to educate people to not get something unless they’re prepared to commit to it. If they follow that message, then we’re not going to have as many animals ending up in rescues because people aren’t going to get them in the first place if they’re not ready for them,” said Clevett. “Just having an understanding of these animals and getting people – especially kids, close … people won’t appreciate what they can’t experience.”

This type of festival generally occurs more often in larger city centers, though Clevett wants to expand more into rural areas and invite everyone to learn and experience something new. 

Clevett added he expects the festival will return to Strathmore on an annual basis as part of its tour route, so that they can continue to allow the community to experience these unique creatures.