From Inside Edition
Petting zoos can be great fun for the whole family, giving children a chance to get up close with animals they might not see every day.
But
could there be a hidden danger that can make little ones sick? Two boys
in California and Maine died after contracting E. coli following trips
to petting zoos.
Inside Edition visited a few different petting zoos in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to see what we could find.
At
Linvilla Orchards in Media, Pennsylvania, customers are warned to wash
their hands, with hand sanitizer conveniently located near the animals.
The same was the case at the Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown,
Pennsylvania, where visitors were offered a sink with soap to wash up
after coming into contact with the animals.
But it was a
different story at Paws Discovery Farm in Mount Laurel Township, New
Jersey, where there was a beautiful area to pet the animals,
but not one warning sign. There was a hand sanitizer dispenser, but it
was located far away from the animals and Inside Edition found it
empty.
Asked by Inside Edition Chief Investigative Correspondent
Lisa Guerrero why there's no hand-washing station near the animals or a
sign advising visitors to clean up, executive director Kelly Lyons
replied, "It's a great idea, we should do it."
"We would love to do it ... sponsored by Inside Edition," added Lyons.
Inside
Edition swabbed the animals at each of the zoos and sent the swabs for
testing. As you might expect, many of the animals were filthy and loaded
with E. coli, which comes from feces. Inside Edition also found other
bacteria that might make your child sick.
We showed the results to New Jersey mom Chantel Besser, who brought her two daughters to several petting zoos.
"That's gross," Besser said.
"What would you say to parents that are thinking of bringing their kids to petting zoos?" asked Guerrero.
"I would say keep a close eye on your kids and at least have antibacterial wipes in your bag just in case," she answered.
Inside
Edition went back to Paws Discovery Farm a few weeks later and found it
had added signs and hand sanitizer closer to the animal petting area.
Experts
say it's important to keep kids away from chickens and amphibians. In
addition, don't let kids sit on the ground and don't let them put their
fingers in the animals' mouths.
