These are anxious times we’re living in, and “fight or flight” never rings more true than when you’re in a chaotic airport terminal. To help reduce stress among travelers, one Oregon hub is offering unique emotional support animals to calm fliers’ nerves.
In recent months, the Portland airport (PDX) has enlisted pairs of therapy llamas and alpacas to visit its terminals and soothe uneasy passengers. The animals bring “instant joy to travelers while they nibble on carrots,” says Allison Ferre, media relations manager for the Port of Portland.
The llamas and alpacas are trained therapy animals from Mountain Peaks Therapy Llamas and Alpacas in Washington state. The nonprofit raises camelids—the official classification for both llamas and alpacas—on its small farm and selects animals that are social, curious, and enjoy interaction to make therapeutic visits. Each animal receives two years of special training before they are brought along to therapy outings, like at PDX airport.
Similar to dogs or horses, the animals are domesticated creatures that have a naturally calming effect. “By offering friendship and warm touch, our llamas and alpacas help alleviate loneliness, lower blood pressure, and reduce stress—their presence can bring a sense of normalcy to institutional settings,” Mountain Peaks’ website says.
Those effects will be sorely needed in the US this fall, following a dramatic presidential election and with stressful Thanksgiving and holiday travel looming on the horizon.
But once fliers spot the llamas sashaying through the terminal, the anxiety seems to melt away. “Travelers don’t expect anything,” Shannon Joy, a co-founder of Mountain Peaks, told local news outlet Willamette Week back in February. “Everyone has that resting face of ‘let me try to get through to my destination’ and then, all of a sudden, they come across a big fluffy llama that they’re encouraged to hug. There’s this wave of relief. You can see the whole body change.”
The pair of camelids visit PDX’s new concourse about once or twice a month, but there’s no set schedule for when the cuddly duo might appear. The team keeps a busy calendar, also offering therapeutic and educational visits to “senior living, daycares and preschools, special-needs groups, rehab facilities, and summer camps,” according to the nonprofit’s website, and each animal is also given ample rest between outings.