By LIZ GRIFFITHS [email protected]
A British resident has spoken of her shock at the lack of signs informing visitors to wash their hands after petting animals following a visit to Krazy World near Algoz.
After four petting farms closed in England due to a fear of Escherichia Coli infections being spread, Pauline Wallace, who recently visited the attraction in Algoz with her two young grandchildren, was shocked nothing had been put in place.
She told the Algarve Resident: “There were no notices regarding dangers of petting the animals, which considering the problems in the UK at the moment, one would expect more care to be taken.
“The main problem was that in the ladies’ toilets, there was no water available to wash our hands.”
Elderly people and children will find it particularly hard to overcome an E. coli infection, whereas most people will overcome it in a few days.
E. coli infections can be transferred from faeces, which is why it is important petting farms and zoos encourage people to wash their hands after coming into contact with animals.
A spokesman from Krazy World told the Algarve Resident: “The park has been rented out for the past two years but from today (September 30) it is under new management.
“We are going to bring the park back up to date, which will include the closure of the animal zones so they can be renovated and re-opened in a different structure.”
A spokesman from Zoo de Lagos told the Algarve Resident: “Washing hands after touching animals is a basic precaution that people should always take, not just because of the risk of contracting swine flu or E. coli.
“This sort of education starts at home but we always try our best to educate people.”
Zoomarine, the marine conservation centre in Guia, Albufeira, said they always ask visitors to bathe before taking part in their popular dolphin interaction programme and other contact with the animals is limited.
Biologist Élio Vicente from Zoomarine told the Algarve Resident: “With the exception of the dolphin interaction programme (which implies a bath before and after the session) and a few photo opportunities (where the visitors are asked to wash their hands before and after), no contact is possible between our visitors and our specimens.”
Do you have a view on this story? Email us at [email protected]
