Special to the
Opelika Observer
See a sloth, make friends with an armadillo or encounter an opossum at the Auburn-Opelika Wildlife Festival Aug. 2 and 3 at the Village Event Center.
Dozens of animals will be on display during this interactive and educational event taking place from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. each day. There will be multiple opportunities throughout the festival to enjoy educational presentations. The reptiles and invertebrates program will be at the following times: 10:15 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 1:15 p.m., 2:45 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. The mammals and birds program will be offered at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
There will be 30 live animals for guests to meet, including a sloth, porcupine, armadillo, snakes, opossum, bunnies, ferrets, snakes, tarantulas, tortoises, lizards, frogs and more. Some animals will only come out during the presentations, so be sure to stay for both.
For families with children with special needs who are affected by crowds, there will be an early opening at 9 a.m. on Aug. 3. This first hour will be open to their families as well.
The Wildlife Festival is an all-ages event presented by the Foundation for Animal Rescue & Education in partnership with Little Ray’s Nature Centers, the Sloth Conservation Foundation and the Wildlife Conservation Society.
To buy tickets, visit www.fare.whitelabeltickets.com/en/pages/opelika.
For more information, call 334-500-2878. The venue is located at 804 Columbus Parkway.
About Little Ray’s Nature Center:
Little Ray’s Wildlife Festivals bring fun animal encounters and nature education to communities throughout North America. Little Ray’s Nature Centre’s events are made possible through a partnership with The Foundation for Animal Rescue and Education (FARE). Visit http://littleraysnaturecentres.com/festival/ to find information about one can expect to see and do there, how they accommodate individuals with special needs and how they ensure animal welfare.