Bailey Wood of The Canadian Raptor Conservancy holds Toba, a Great Horned Owl – photos 250News

Prince George, B.C. – The Northern Sports Centre is the place to be for wildlife enthusiasts this weekend.

Hosted in partnership by Little Ray’s Reptile Zoo and The Canadian Raptor Conservancy, there’s plenty to see including pythons, bald eagles, tarantulas, ferrets and owls.

“We’re basically two companies that have come together to travel around and teach about conservation, teach about responsible pet ownership, and just provide really interesting facts about the animals themselves,” says Kyle Lawrie, wildlife educator with Little Ray’s Reptile Zoo.

Kyle Lawrie of Little Ray’s Reptile Zoo holds a seven foot Coastal Carpet Python

“We focus definitely on everybody having a good time and having fun. So we have a very interactive portion of our presentation where you get to touch the animals and basically do stuff you never thought you would do.”

The companies alternate presentations through the day and he recommends giving yourself a good 1.5 to 2 hours to see and do everything.

Lawrie also had this advice to share for those interested in buying an exotic pet.

“A lot of geckos make great pets, bearded dragons, but then you start getting into the pythons which are actually banned in B.C., along with alligators.”

Matt Morgan of The Canadian Raptor Conservancy with a bald eagle

If you’d like to get in on the fun the festival runs today until 5 p.m. and resumes tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission is $12.50 per person with children 2 and under free. But if you go to Facebook and ‘share’ the post on their Facebook page, it’s only $10 per person.