[imagesource: flickr]

That creature pictured above is known as the Jesus lizard (or plumed basilisk, officially), because it can run on water.

Not in water, on water.

It wouldn’t be my first choice if I was shopping for an emotional support animal, but then again, a peacock or alligator wouldn’t be high on the list either, and people have tried to make the case that those creatures are comforting.

Research has shown that animals have the potential to ease stress, loneliness, and depression. During the pandemic, a number of studies reported the benefits of owning a pet while in lockdown.

People with pets tended to fare better than those who didn’t.

(Again, just a quick reminder to only adopt a pet if you actually want one, and if you do want one, adopt from a shelter).

With all of this in mind, it isn’t surprising that animal-assisted therapy is becoming more and more popular.

And yes, the Jesus lizard plays a role in all of this. More on that in a minute.

First, per The Guardian:

“With humans, it’s survivor thinking: if I’m nice to people, they will be nice to me,” says Yoni Yehuda, an Israeli psychotherapist (below), as his cat Jack Daniels licks water from a jug on his office table.

With animals, he says, there is no apparent quid pro quo. We help them for purer reasons, often with no expectation of a return. “It’s giving from something that is very clean inside.”

This concept is at the core of Yehuda’s work which involves providing therapy for people with mental health conditions by asking them to take care of animals. He believes that there is something deeply healing about the human-animal relationship.

The animals he has milling around that form part of this therapy are a little out of the ordinary. I mean, there’s a cat, but…

Outside, a llama and a camel laze on the sand under the sun. Yehuda has hundreds of animals, from horses and turtles to an exotic Jesus lizard that runs on water and a ring-tailed South American coati.

Most were rescued and for various reasons cannot be returned to the wild or re-homed.

I guess if you stay away from water, the lizard could be perceived as cute?

The centre and Yehuda’s work is at the experimental – even controversial – end of a scientific field that has become increasingly established and popular worldwide.

Animals were used in mental health institutions in the late 18th century to encourage socialisation. Today, a patient might be given time to stroke a dog, which has been shown to reduce stress. Practitioners say animals can also motivate patients to stay in treatment, or be used as a metaphor for their own struggles. Some traumatised people prefer not to interact with another person at all.

Scientifically proven results include reduced stress while working with animals and an increase in emotional wellbeing.

The controversy lies in ethics.

IAHAIO has worked to professionalise the field, implementing professional and ethical guidelines. It banned therapy with exotic species, such as monkeys and reptiles, not only because of potential dangers but risks of transferable disease.

Captive dolphin therapy, in particular, has been condemned by many in the community as inhumane pseudoscience, with little quality research backing it up.

There’s a robot dolphin that could solve that problem.

You can read more about how Yehuda got started and the effects of his therapy on patients, here.

I can see the benefits.

There have been moments over the past few months where all I’ve wanted to do is hug a kitten.

[source:guardian]