Abu Dhabi's first owl cafe goes viral, internet furious over 'animal cruelty'

In a unique bid to attract customers, Abu Dhabi opened an owl cafe with nine different owls sitting pretty inside the Boomah Cafe. Visitors can spend time with the owls by learning about them and even holding them for 70 Dirhams (approx. $19).

These raptors are taken care ofby professional trainers and are also assisted by the trained staff of the cafe. The first-of-its-kind cafe in the Middle East however drew flak from social media users over “animal cruelty.”

The cafe shared various videos with the owls sitting inside the cafe and with the staff showing them off by holding them, resulting in their quick popularity on social media. But as the unique experience went viral, netizens started asking questions about the well-being of the birds in the face of entertainment.

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Cafe owner Mohamed Al Shehhi told Time Out that "the wellbeing of the owls comes as the top priority for the cafe.”

He stated that the eatery opens at 2 pm (local time) every day, which allows the owls "enough rest all night and all morning, and while closing, they are released to move around freely".

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"Some of the owls at Boomah can never live in the wild, let's take Venus (the Tawny Owl), for example. She hatched with one wing being shorter than the other, disabling her from flying at high altitudes or for 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 told the outlet.

Internet angry over this unique idea

The recently shared video by creator Little Foodie on Instagram showsseveral owls and their name tags and species information near a wooden board.

“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," read the caption

People turned furious over this video and said this is animal cruelty.

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"I mean birds should be free unless these birds need rehab and you are keeping them till healthy and setting them free? Seems so wrong to make money of caged animals," said a user.

Another said, "Can we stop using animals for entertainment and money? This is wrong on every level"

"This is animal cruelty," remarked a third.

While a fourth commented, "When will animal entertainment be stopped for good! Us humans are appalling!! These birds are trapped in chains, HEARTBREAKING"

(With inputs from agencies)