“interactive” cafe using raptors such as owls

A business aimed at “interaction” with animals has been spreading the last few years. Among them, cafes using owls are increasing in number.

Being healed by interacting with charming owls with big round eyes, that’s the selling point for the owl café. However, the owls do not agree to heal people.

It’s called “interactive” but there is no “interaction” there. Some are constrained and the others are unilaterally touching them.

Owls are used for commerce, being stuck with a short leash, not able to drink water when they want to, getting their pictures taken, and are not able to fly away when they are touched.

This petition is going to be submitted to the interactive café /a display using raptors, and raptors store, animal welfare legislation in each municipality, and Ministry of the Environment.

• We demand the interactive café to end their business model that uses raptors such as owls.
• We demand the animal welfare legislation in each municipality to discontinue the interactive café using raptors such as owls and to instruct placing water based on the details of standards to be complied with by first class animal handling business operators*[i], Act on Welfare and Management of Animals*2, the measures for achieving the proper care and keeping of animals exhibited*3.
• We demand the Ministry of the Environment to set numerical criteria of animal facilities in the details of standards to be complied with by first class animal handling business operators and measures for achieving the proper care and keeping of animals exhibited*4.

* Please visit Animal Rights Center website for the details of footnotes and issues around interaction with raptors such as owls.

http://www.arcj.org/animals/zoo/00/id=919