Cat cafes are so last year after a coffee shop opened up in Bangkok that uses foxes to entice customers who are fine petting wild animals and using them as selfie props.
Little Zoo Cafe has opened up in Muangthong Thani and has quickly become the latest popular place for Instagramming as visitors are surrounded by tiny fennec foxes along with a meerkat and raccoon (aka Timon and Meeko.)
The exotic babies have made headlines in the media and on local forums, drawing a mix of approval and disapproval from netizens.
Even though the animals have been trained to stay in an enclosed space, the cafe still warns customers about the wild nature of these species.
“For them to be exactly like dogs and cats as house pets would be difficult,” the cafe warned on Facebook.
The animals are viewed by many as wild and a lot of people are annoyed that they have been stripped of their survival instincts to be used for show, which may be why a lot of people believe they don’t belong in a cafe.
The fennec foxes and meerkat are kept in a separate glass room, where 5-10 guests are allowed at a time. During each visit, guests can hold and play with the cuddly creatures for around 10 minutes.
However, due to the popularity of the cafe, some people reportedly had to wait for up to an hour just to get in the fox room.
Originally, the cafe set up schedules for playtime with the animals, but since these little guys get tired easily, break intervals are given to them whenever needed. Guests also need to clean their hands and remove their shoes before entering.
On the second floor, visitors can eat while watching the cafe’s raccoon play around in its lodge. Because raccoons are usually alert and aggressive, the wild creature is kept in a separate glass room, where a few guests are allowed to enter at certain times.
The cafe is said to be an extension of the business Mini Zoo Cafe, the exotic pet shop in JJ market which sells several species of wild animals such as fennec foxes, meerkats, bushbabies, marmosets, caracals, and more.
Recently, a similar plan for a fox cafe in London was cancelled due to pressure from animal rights groups. Despite that, Little Zoo Cafe claims they have acquired the animals legally, and the non-stop line of visitors seem to be enjoy both their foxes and frappé.
What does the fox say about this?
FIND IT:
Opening hours: Tue – Sun, 12am – 9pm
Sukhothai Ave. 99
Muang Thong Thani
Reader Interactions