Animal therapy of the creepy variety

Our ladies and gentlemen were treated to a very different kind of animal therapy when they were introduced to creatures of a creepy-crawly variety.

We welcomed Dave Landey, founder of Reptomania, for an animal encounter session that brought a whole menagerie of fascinating creatures into the home.

The ladies and gentlemen were invited to get up close with snakes, geckos, lizards, tarantulas, millipedes and giant African land snails—learning a few surprising facts along the way.

The visit sparked plenty of smiles, questions and conversation, with many choosing to handle the animals, often for the very first time in their lives.

ave said: “There was one lady who was terrified of snakes, but she fell in love with them and wanted to hold them more than anybody else at the end of it, which was amazing.”

As well as being memorable, the sessions can be calming and gently sensory, especially when people can feel the animals move.

“When you can get something to actually hold and feel it can be very relaxing, such as the muscle movement of the snakes,” Dave explains.

Animal therapy has been shown to improve the mental health of older people and can help mitigate feelings of stress of agitation.

It’s particularly effective for those who become withdrawn from social situations – a common result of hearing loss or dementia – as the shared bond goes beyond verbal communication.

Tara Chatterley-Russell, Activity Lead at Brockington House, said: We love bringing in activities that get everyone chatting and trying something new.

“Dave’s visit gave our ladies and gentlemen the chance to see and touch animals most will have never seen that close up before, so it was an amazing tactile, sensory and stimulating experience for everyone.”

Dave set up Reptomania with his wife Hazel whilst still working full time for the ambulance service. This followed a lifelong fascination with snakes which turned into a family collection and now something they can share with the wider community.

Reptomania now delivers educational and wellbeing sessions for care homes, schools, Scouts and community groups, as well as parties and public events.

https://reptomania.co.uk/

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