Animal magic

At Bettercaring we take great delight in all things offbeat and decidedly oddball. So we jumped at the opportunity when a note arrived inviting us to an exotic ‘jungle safari’ at a nearby care home.

By the time we got there, all manner of creepy and cuddly critters were being paraded in front of excited care home residents. These included a fruit bat, an albino Burmese python, a rhesus monkey, ring-tailed lemur and penguin.

As the exotic creatures were passed around by specialist handlers, the home’s residents gasped in wonder and not a little awe; proving that even the frailest and most dependent people can raise the roof when they’re having a good time.

Of course, there was a serious side to the afternoon – it gave residents much needed stimulation – but it also pushed back the boundaries and challenged preconceptions of old people in care.

One lady loved snakes and had grown accustomed to them after spending time in Africa – yet never expected to see a live one again. Filled with questions about the python – and eager to give it a stroke, she showed no fear. And although others were less keen on the snake (one resident, for example, shrieked at the mere mention of the word ‘snake’), all were willing to overcome their trepidations and give it a pet.

It was a similar story for the other animals. Indeed, the penguin and rhesus monkey proved so popular the event over-ran by an hour-and-a-half.

But what really struck me was the attentiveness of the residents – especially towards the animals. I expected the day to be a trying test of patience, with the residents bored and disinterested. In fact, they couldn’t wait to see what was next.

Even after the animals had gone, the home was still buzzing with excitement. The activities co-ordinator was pleased; the day had been a roaring success and she was looking into hosting another animal safari day…despite the penguin’s insistence on messing everywhere and the monkey escaping into the manager’s office.

In fact, the only grumpy face in the building belonged to Buster the Shih Tzu pat dog – who must’ve been feeling like an endangered species himself.