Baby Bear's Play Cafe in Oldham hosted the Wriggly Roadshow – an initiative that allows children and adults alike to have hands-on experience handling a variety of weird and wonderful creatures.
14 children, aged between one and 10, attended the hour-long event with their parents on Saturday (4 July), where they encountered snakes, lizards, frogs and a variety of creepy crawlies.
James Allen, founder of Wriggly Roadshow, said: “I started the business about 12 years ago. I wanted to give children the opportunity to get up close and personal with animals they could only see in a zoo.
“Last Saturday was a great opportunity for parents and kids. They were an awesome bunch. They got involved and handled a wide range of animals.
“I have always had a huge passion for animals. I grew up in Zimbabwe in the bush surrounded by animals, like zebras and giraffes, which ignited my passion. I then became a teacher of animal care in college and from there decided to start a business with my own animals.
“A lot of studies have shown that interacting with animals has lots of benefits. It can even help people with depression,” he added.
After the session, attendees were able to explore the cafe, which includes a sensory room, a role-play village and a play area.
Allen keeps over 150 animals in a converted shipping container near Stockport, including Australian tree frogs, tarantulas, snakes and millipedes. He has been bitten by some of his animals, including venomous snakes and a small crocodile. He’s also been stung by scorpions.
He believes handling animals has many advantages. One of the main things is it helps people overcome their fears. Many people Allen has met are terrified of tarantulas and creepy crawlies.
“Once they learn how the animals work and get up close and personal, all those fears melt away very quickly,” he said. “If people live in fear, it can be quite terrifying. Once people are educated, their fears disappear, and it makes a huge difference in their lives.”
Allen has been invited by the café to hold more interactive sessions in the future.
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