麻豆视频

In retail advertising, they call it a loss leader. Something you market at money-losing price to get people into the store where聽 you have a chance to sell them bigger ticket, higher profit margin items.

In the world of The Wildlife Festival, which just visited Yorkton January 15, the loss leader is a bobcat kitten named Chloe. The bigger ticket item is to raise awareness of conservation issues.

The Wildlife Festival brought its 鈥淲ild Americas鈥� show to Yorkton鈥檚 Gallagher Centre January 15. Residents headed out to see Chloe in droves and for their trouble and entry fee were rewarded with a spectacular show聽 of birds of prey in flight by the Canadian Raptor Conservancy (CRC) and titillating up close encounters of the reptilian kind presented by Little Ray鈥檚 Reptile Zoo.

鈥淥ne of the main things we do is to try to bring a lot of these animals that a lot of people don鈥檛 get a chance to see in their day-to-day activities and bring them in a safe environment for the animals and for the people,鈥� said Matt Morgan, a falconer/bird handler with CRC.

鈥淲e鈥檙e also trying to raise awareness of some of the struggles some of these animals are going through.鈥�

One of the main conservation problems, he said, is still the status of bald eagles. Although they have been upgraded from 鈥渆ndangered鈥� to 鈥渁t risk,鈥� they are not out of the woods yet.

On the reptile side, Morgan said virtually every species of turtle in Canada are in trouble because of habitat destruction.

In addition to raising awareness of conservation issues, the show offers advice on easy things individuals can do to help. Interspersed throughout the animal displays were banners with the headline 鈥淭he Little Things Add Up.鈥�

For example, one read: 鈥淕o vegetarian once a week. One less meat-based meal a week helps the planet and your diet. It takes 20,000 litres of water to produce one kilogram of beef.鈥�

Paul 鈥淟ittle Ray鈥� Goulet, owner of Little Ray鈥檚, said seeing the animals up close inspires people much more than seeing them on TV or even catching a glimpse in the wild. It creates a personal connection that makes people more likely to do what they can to help.

The Wildlife Festival is a collaboration between the Canadian Raptor Conservancy, Little Ray鈥檚 Reptile Zoo and the Backyard Conservation Fund of Canada.

The CRC rescues birds of prey and has one of the world鈥檚 largest captive breeding programs. It has been involved in many high-profile species re-introduction programs and also does movie work.

Little Ray鈥檚 is an accredited rehabilitation centre near Ottawa that works closely with the SPCA.聽 More than 80 per cent of its resident reptiles and amphibians are unwanted or seized pets.

The BCF is a non-profit rescue organization that takes in聽 unwanted and confiscated reptiles and amphibians. Its goal is to find suitable placement for the animals.

The animal handlers also do their best to dispel common misconceptions people have about animals, such as snakes being slimy and tarantulas being poisonous.

Another big part of the message is to discourage people from taking on reptiles as pets. Several times during the show, the reptile handler talked about why it wasn鈥檛 a good idea to have reptiles as pets. At the end of the presentation, just before Chloe made her crowd-pleasing entrance, he asked the audience if reptiles should be kept as pets and all the kids shouted back 鈥渘o!鈥�

The Wildlife Festival is currently making its across Saskatchewan with upcoming shows tonight in Prince Albert, tomorrow in Battleford and January 24 and 25 in Lloydminster.聽