Well-being and wildlife: Should luxury resorts be using animals in their human wellness programmes?

When the International Luxury Travel Market fair took place in May this year, the main theme was health and wellness. From bespoke spa holidays to medical tourism, the search for holistic experiences away from home is trending. There is a growing demand for therapy programmes, especially interactive ones with animals. But using animals as a means to benefit human wellness stirs debate between animal welfare groups and those who believe these such interactions are good for both the animals and humans.

In 1971, the late founder and president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan, ordered the round-up of some endangered species, like the Arabian oryx (a magnificent antelope with a pure white coat and horns up to 75cm long), to be moved to a wildlife reserve off the coast of Abu Dhabi.

Located 170km southwest of Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas Island dates back to the Bronze Age. Although the island has a long history of human settlement with remains found dating as far back as AD600, it was necessary to transform the land for the vision Sheikh Zayed had in mind.

Several million plants and trees were planted as part of his programme for the “Greening of the Desert”. These days, the island is home to more than 30 animal species that roam free in the 4,100-hectare Arabian Wildlife Park, almost over half the size of the island. The park is dedicated to breeding and rehabilitating animals indigenous to the Arabian Peninsula.

A grand tour of the island takes about 90 minutes with Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Al Sahel Villa Resort’s wildlife drive. The Anantara is the only hotel on the island. The wild side of the park is best viewed on horseback. At the end of the day when you lead your four-legged companion back to its stable, you are greeted with other animals grazing on the property, such as sand and mountain gazelles, cattle egrets and peacocks. And nothing is more integral to desert life – as has been practised in the UAE for centuries – than falconry, when Bedouin tribes used falcons to hunt meat to supplement their diet. On Sir Bani Yas, falconry is offered from October until the end of April.

In the decades that followed, the island has thrived and become one of the UAE’s many success stories, attracting a steady stream of visitors from around the world.

But the debate concerning animal welfare in human wellness programmes remains.

Animals on holiday premises are not necessarily promoted as therapy animals. They are residents on the property and guests often have to pay extra to interact with them. In places like spas and retreats – where human well-being is at the forefront – there is the need to ensure that the animals are not just a marketing or PR gimmick. They should be promoted as therapy animals and their well-being should be taken into account, says Karina O’Carroll, animal welfare education manager at Animals Asia Foundation (AAF).