Elderly care home residents in Ripon were visited by a parliament of owls for an innovative animal therapy session.
Hoot of a time for Ripon care home residents during animal therapy session A hoot of a time was had by elderly care home residents in Ripon when a parliament of owls paid them a visit for an innovative animal therapy session. Residents at Sycamore Hall Care Home, on Kearsley Road, welcomed their feathered friends from Owl Adventures, a Yorkshire-based falconry and mobile zoo. Guests included Willow the pygmy owl, Juno the barn owl, Eva the Canadian great horned owl, and Maverick the Harris hawk. During the animal-assisted therapy session, resident Celia Berry, 75, recalled how an owl used to visit her garden and Margaret Smith, 87, commented on how beautiful the birds were. June Carling, 87, said:
“Owls are my favourite animal. I have a lovely big picture of one in my room, so it was wonderful to see them face-to-face.”[caption id="attachment_97729" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Sycamore Hall Care Home resident Brian Sawyer, 85, with Willow the pygmy owl.[/caption] Animal-assisted therapy sessions are a powerful way to raise residents’ spirits, tackle feelings of loneliness, and boost wellbeing, according to Sycamore Hall Care Home activities coordinator Jill Scaife. She said:
“You only need to watch the residents interacting with the birds and hear them speaking about it afterwards, to their loved ones and the carers, to see what an impact such a session has. “Residents were amazed at how Maverick flew between staff members outstretched arms. But everyone’s favourite was getting the chance to hold little Willow the pygmy owl. Everyone wanted to keep him. “Thank you so much to Ryan from Owl Adventures for giving everyone a fantastic experience. His talk about the owls and raptors was fascinating for everyone. “We will be running more animal-assisted therapy sessions in future and hopefully we can have Ryan, Willow, Eva, and Maverick back at the care home one day.”Read more local stories from Your Harrogate here.
Harrogate Fundraiser to share story of 9,000-mile unsupported bike ride to the himalayas
Harrogate pupils achieve distinctions across the board in drama exams
Harrogate hospital shortlisted for two national awards
Hampsthwaite school goes red to support children’s heart charity
Harrogate Convention Centre upgrade reaches new milestone
Harrogate IT company visits local school to educate pupils on sustainability
Harrogate Town boss Simon Weaver nominated for Manager of the Month
Harrogate swimmer awarded prestigious scholarship
Call for volunteers to tackle litterbugs in clean-up campaign
Harrogate's Turkish Baths named 'Day Spa of the Year'
Police appeal after racially offensive drawings made in Harrogate
Popular Harrogate music festival shortlisted for national award
Saint Michael's first ever 10km run raises £50,000
Harrogate's Lottie McGuinness wins bronze at European Championships
The Harrogate care home taking residents on a trip down memory lane
Harrogate men encouraged to find their voice in new charity choir
Harrogate's Lottie McGuinness to compete in European Championships this weekend
Harrogate Mayor's chain too valuable to be worn without bodyguard
Two weeks left to nominate for Local Hero Awards 2026
Route revealed for Knaresborough Tractor Run 2026
