Business · Animal cafésIslamabad alpaca cafe offers four-animal encounters, with welfare questionsWritten November 6, 2026 at 4:41 AM UTCWatchTranscript0:07Visitors can pet four alpacas while having a drink near Islamabad.0:11The cafe's owner wants children to put down their screens and learn to care for0:16animals.0:16A close encounters can put pressure on animals.0:19When visitors keep coming, can the attraction deliver that educational promise while0:24giving the alpacas the space and care they need.0:27A zoo near Islamabad has opened the cafe, combining refreshments with an animal0:33encounter.0:33Families can get close enough to touch an alpaca, rather than watching only from a0:38distance.0:39Four alpacas are reported as available for visitors to pet during the cafe0:43encounter.0:44That figure describes the attraction's hands-on experience.0:48The zoo's overall animal count is a separate question.0:51Owner Kasim Khan says he wants children to develop an interest in conservation by0:56learning to care for living animals.0:58Spending less time on screens is part of his aim.1:02The experience gives children an opportunity to practice being gentle around an1:06animal.1:06Alpacas are social animals, but they also have a flight response.1:11They can try to escape when they sense danger.1:14General camelid care guidance calls for calm, quiet handling, because an encounter1:20a child enjoys can still frighten the animal.1:22The cafe is reportedly Pakistan's first, although that national first claim hasn't1:28been confirmed.1:29A second description of an alpaca attraction also complicates the picture.1:34An attraction called coffee with alpaca at MultiZoo has been described with ten1:39animals.1:39It's unclear whether that's the same operation.1:42The two counts can't safely be combined into a single description of this cafe.1:47Unnatural lighting and constant exposure to visitors are potential sources of stress1:53in animal cafes.1:55How much contact animals receive, and what happens when they want to avoid it, are2:01central to their care.2:02Alpacas need suitable outdoor surroundings for browsing, along with shelter and2:07shade.2:08They also need opportunities for their normal behavior.2:11Visitor interaction has to fit around those needs, even when close contact is the2:16attraction families came for.2:18Khan's educational aim still needs evidence of what children learn and how they2:22behave after a visit.2:24The welfare risks also don't show that these four alpacas have been harmed.2:28Their condition remains unclear, including whether they can withdraw from visitors2:33and how their contact and rest are managed.Read the articleStory timelineHeyDex
