Wild animals featured at this year's Art in Bloom celebration

Medford, Ore. — This Mother’s Day weekend, take a walk on the wild side.

Wild animals are prowling behind the Craterian Theatre during this year’s Downtown Medford Art in Bloom celebration.

Beyond the art, jewelry and flowers you can usually find at for the event, this year, residents will also encounter a young tiger, Canadian lynx and baby wallaby.

A Walk on the Wild Side spokesperson Olivia Robertson commented on the wallaby, “It’s a lot of work, but it’s rewarding. This guy stays up all night, like a human baby.”

Walk on the Wild Side takes in animals that were previously bred in captivity and lost their homes. The group stresses that these creatures are only held in the enclosures for these events, which raise money for their care.

Several streets in the downtown area were already closed for the celebration which begins on Saturday, and ends on Mother’s Day.