A cafe in Abu Dhabi that houses owls for visitors to pet has come under scrutiny from animal rights activists for alleged cruelty. Boomah Cafe, which claims to be the first owl cafe in the Middle East, features nine owls and charges visitors 70 Dirhams (£15) to hold them. Despite the owner’s assurances that the owls’ wellbeing is a priority, the cafe has faced backlash from internet users and animal rights advocates.
Videos of the cafe with the owls have recently gone viral on social media, sparking criticism. Many argue that using owls for entertainment and profit is unethical and suggest that the birds should be placed in wildlife sanctuaries instead. In February, the cafe celebrated its fourth anniversary. Content creator Little Foodie recently shared a video on Instagram, highlighting the owls with their name tags and species information. Some comments included: “Is this right? I mean birds should be free unless these birds need rehab…”, “Seems so wrong to make money off caged animals,” and “Can we stop using animals for entertainment and money? This is wrong on every level.”
The content creator’s caption read: “This is the Middle East’s first owl cafe and it has to be one of the most unique experiences in UAE! Inspired by the owl cafes in Japan, you can admire some of the most majestic owls you’ve ever seen and get a chance to even touch them under the supervision of a professional. The owls’ room is divided by a glass in case you don’t want to interact with them and just watch from a distance.. but if you wish to get up close, it costs AED 70 per person. Definitely a bucket list experience when in Abu Dhabi.”
One commentator wrote: “Please don’t promote places like this that exploit animals for money.”
Cafe owner Mohamed Al Shehhi told *Time Out Abu Dhabi* in 2020, “Boomah opens daily at 2pm to allow the owls enough rest all night and all morning, and while closing, they are released to move around freely.” He added: “Some of the owls at Boomah can never live in the wild; for example, Venus (the Tawny Owl) hatched with one wing shorter than the other, which disables her from flying at high altitudes or long distances. While being cared for by the Boomah team, Venus is now a healthy eight-year-old owl living happily despite the disability.”
Al Shehhi emphasized that the cafe was inspired by Japanese owl cafes but adapted to meet the expectations of Middle Eastern society. The Independent has reached out to Boomah Cafe for further comment.
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