Don't touch animals in the zoo, says UK charity
Date: 27-Aug-01
Country: UK
People can contract diseases such as salmonella, hepatitis and tuberculosis by touching animals, according to the Born Free Foundation. It said herpes B, which some monkeys carry, can be lethal to humans.
Infectious animal diseases, known collectively as zoonoses, can also be transmitted simply through the air. Humans can transmit ailments such as flu to animals.
A study by the foundation of 100 British zoos found that visitors were touching animals in 60 percent of zoos, even when they were not allowed to.
"Zoos themselves have these meet-the-animals and get-to-know the animals sessions. So the public assume that contact is probably all right," said foundation chief executive Will Travers.
"It seems to us that there's a significant risk of disease transference between animals and people which the public aren't aware of," said Travers, whose parents Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers starred in the 1966 wildlife film "Born Free".
He added: "There's also of course a risk that the public will transfer diseases to the animals. So both parties are at risk."
The foundation's survey, which covered a quarter of British zoos, found that up to 20 percent were not properly licensed, which meant that welfare and safety standards may not be met.
The report also found that conditions in which animals were held was a cause for concern, with many animals showing symptoms of poor welfare and stress.
Abnormal and obsessive behaviour among animals was found in four out of five large British zoos and safari parks, the Born Free Foundation said.
