Edmonton gets its paws on exotic animals once more with return of Wildlife Festival

Exotic animals are being temporarily housed at the Expo Centre for this weekend's Edmonton Wildlife Festival.

The Expo Centre will host a number of animals you don’t see every day this weekend for the Edmonton Wildlife Festival.

Animals like capybaras, boa constrictors and kangaroos have been sniffing out their temporary homes at the Exhibition Grounds.

Mike Sheppard, who owns Cobb’s Adventure Park – an exotic rescue which puts on the yearly festival – said the event is meant to raise money for his non-profit’s rescue efforts.

Since 2020, his organization has gone from 20 animals in their care to 500.

The event is also just cool, he says.

“People love to see them, and it’s a very unique experience,” he said on Friday. “You can go to a zoo and see a porcupine. You can’t pet one. We have four different species here, and you can pet all of them.”

Tickets begin at $17.95 for general admission from Friday to Sunday.

The festival will have an adults-only event from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday as well as a quiet hour Saturday between 10 and 11 a.m.

Add-ons also exist for specific animal experiences or VIP groups.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Darcy Seaton