Stay healthy at animal exhibits

Stay healthy at animal exhibits

Do your kids love visiting animals at the petting zoo, aquarium, or local fair? Interacting with animals can be fun and educational. But before your next trip to a petting zoo, remember that the animals at these exhibits can carry germs that can make people sick, especially young children.

Follow the tips below to stay healthy while enjoying animals in exhibits.

Wash your hands

You should wash your hands:

• Right after touching animals or anything in the areas where they live, roam, or eat.
• When you leave animal areas (even if you didn’t touch the animals).

Keep children safe around animals

• Always supervise children around animals.
• Children younger than 5 years old shouldn’t touch reptiles, amphibians, or poultry (like chickens and ducks).
• Don’t let children sit or play on the ground in animal areas.
• Don’t let children put their fingers or objects (like pacifiers) in their mouths when around animals or in animal areas.

Keep food and animals separate

• Don’t eat or drink around animals.
• Keep food and drinks away from animal areas.
• Don’t feed your food to the animals.