A protest is planned at a new York shop which has become the focal point of online concerns about perceived animal welfare issues.
Owl Adventures has long hosted bird of prey displays in Museum Gardens. It recently opened its first brick and mortar site on Goodramgate – the Owl Adventures Education Centre.
Its owners insist they have the welfare of the birds at heart. But many online have expressed concerns, leading to a petition urging an investigation, and now a planned protest.
The business insists the centre is for educational purposes, not for entertainment.
Customers can pay to hold the owls, eagles, and hawks, with the proceeds going towards the care and conservation of the birds.
One York resident, Shayne Sayner, launched a petition calling on the RSPCA and City of York Council to investigate the shop.
It has already received over 2,000 signatures.
Mr Sayner stated: “People in the area have noted worrying signs about the treatment of wildlife at this establishment.
“Animals held in captivity can often suffer stress and poor health if not properly cared for, which is why transparency and regular checks are crucial.”
People have taken to Facebook and Reddit to voice their worries. One poster said that, “most concerning of all, just a few days ago, baby owls were seen in the shop window”, adding: “They are clearly far too young to be out of the nest, let alone in a noisy, unfamiliar environment.”
Comments included:
- “That’s appalling, how were they allowed to get the go ahead with this, totally inhumane.”
- “How are they getting away with this? It’s so wrong though as a country we have moved past this barbaric entertainment!!”
- “It’s abhorrent, I hated seeing this in Museum Gardens but this is a new low. I can’t believe it’s been allowed so far.”
Now York Hunt Sabs say a protest outside the shop has been organised by animal rights activists at 3pm on Sunday (27 April).
Owl Adventures was started in 2011 by head falconer Ryan Stocks. Its website states: “At the core of the business is the welfare of the birds.”
In response to the backlash, YorkMix spoke to Robin Mackenzie, senior falconer at the Owl Adventures Education Centre on Goodramgate.
As an animal lover herself, she defended the centre and said that the welfare of the birds were the team’s top priority.
She said that birds are housed in aviaries and undergo regular inspections from both City of York Council and the RSPCA.
“People think they live in the shop, but they come back home with us. They go back to their aviaries. We have our licence, and we have inspections on all of our animal welfare,” Robin explained.
Regarding claims that the birds are distressed by handling, Robin said it was easy to see when the animals have had enough and their behaviour is closely monitored.
She explained using one of their owls, Diego, as an example of how the team recognises signs of stress.
“So he’s got very long ears, so his ears will tell us how he’s feeling as well as the rest of his body shape.
“So he will become like liquid. If he’s very scared of something, his ears will go straight up, and he’ll make himself so small that he can look like a stick.
“If he was trying to scare something off, he’d puff himself up to about three times the size. He’d hiss and he’d make a bunch of noises if you’re holding him and he doesn’t want to be held.”
Robin acknowledged that some people had been “very vicious” with their online posts, and some concerned people have been into the shop.
While YorkMix was there, two individuals entered separately to voice their disapproval.
Although she’s more than happy to have a discussion and answer people’s questions, Robin won’t stand for is harassment.
“If they’re just going to be belligerent about it and be really rude and mean, then we will just ask them to leave. But if they’re just asking questions and being quite calm about it, we’re fine answering things,” she told YorkMix.
Robin encouraged anyone who is genuinely concerned about the welfare of the birds, to come along and see the shop for themselves.
We asked the RSPCA for a comment, who stated: “We would encourage anyone who has concerns and can provide first-hand information to contact our national helpline on 0300 1234 999.”