United States environmental and occupational health in zoos facts for kids

Zoos in the United States work hard to keep everyone safe. This includes the amazing animals, the people who work there, and all the visitors. There are many rules and special ways to prevent injuries, sickness, and other dangers.

Keeping Zoo Workers Safe

Working with animals at a zoo can be a risky job. Zookeepers and other zoo staff spend a lot of time up close with animals, which means they need to be very careful.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a government group that helps make sure workplaces are safe. While OSHA doesn't have rules just for zoos, zoos must follow their general rules for keeping workers healthy and safe.

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is a private group that gives special approval to zoos that meet very high standards. Most of their rules are about animal health, but they also have important rules for worker safety.

Each zoo is responsible for creating its own safety plans and rules. These rules must follow the bigger government guidelines. Zoos have safety officers whose job is to create, teach, and check these safety plans.

How Do Zookeepers Stay Safe?

Zookeepers feed, clean, and care for animals. These tasks can be risky! That's why they use Personal protective equipment (PPE). This gear helps protect them. Some examples of PPE are masks, gloves, special boots, goggles, and devices to talk to each other.

Special tools and methods also help keep zookeepers safe:

• Sliding and Guillotine Doors: These special doors help zookeepers feed large or dangerous animals without getting too close.
• Shifting: This is a technique where an animal is guided into a secure part of its habitat. This allows zookeepers to clean the main area safely without bothering the animal.
• Capture Equipment: When animals need to be moved or checked by a vet, zookeepers use special equipment. This can include nets, blow darts, or crates, depending on the animal.

Health Risks for Zoo Staff

Zoo workers can sometimes get sick from being around animals.

• Allergies and Breathing Problems: Some workers might develop asthma or allergies from animal fur, feathers, or dust. Studies have shown that working with parrots, for example, can cause strong allergic reactions in some people.
• Venomous Animals: Workers who care for venomous animals, like certain snakes, face a risk of bites or stings. If a worker is bitten by a venomous animal, they might need special medicine called anti-venom. Sometimes, if anti-venom isn't available, they might need emergency surgery.
• Other Injuries: Zookeepers can also get needlestick injuries (from needles used for animal care), or injuries from animals like bites and kicks.
• Chemical Exposure: They might also be exposed to chemicals like those used for anesthetic agents (to make animals sleep), formaldehyde, pesticides, and cleaning products.

To reduce these risks, zookeepers use PPE and learn how to handle animals and chemicals safely.

What Are Zoonotic Diseases?

Zoonotic diseases are illnesses that can spread between animals and humans. They can spread through the air, by insects (like mosquitoes), or by direct contact with animals. Zookeepers and veterinarians are most at risk because they work directly with animals.

Some common zoonotic diseases include:

• West Nile
• Avian influenza
• Salmonella
• Escherichia coli

Less common diseases that can spread between humans and animals are:

• Tuberculosis
• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which is often found in animals as similar viruses.

Zoo exhibits are designed to keep diseases from spreading to guests and workers. They limit direct contact with animals. Also, using PPE, checking animals regularly for sickness, and teaching staff how to care for animals properly all help stop the spread of these diseases.

Keeping Zoo Guests Safe

Zoo exhibits are designed to protect visitors from animals. They also make sure the animals are happy and healthy. Exhibits are built to make you feel like you're in the animal's natural home, but with a safe barrier between you and the animals. These barriers are different for each animal, depending on if they can fly, jump, climb, swim, or dig.

How Do Exhibit Designs Protect Visitors?

• Dry Moats: These are deep, wide ditches dug around an exhibit. They are too wide for an animal to jump across, keeping visitors safe. Signs and railings are also used to stop guests from climbing into the exhibit or falling into the moat.
• Wet Moats: Similar to dry moats, but filled with water. They often look like natural rivers. However, the water needs to be cleaned and filtered to prevent mosquitoes and other disease-carrying insects from living there.
• Glass Barriers: Large glass panels prevent allergens and diseases from passing between guests and animals. They block air flow and create a solid wall. Zoo staff must clean both sides of the glass, so they need their own safety rules for this task.
• Fences: Fences are built strong enough to handle pressure from animals. The type of fence depends on the animal.
  • Apron Fencing: This fence extends underground. It's used for animals that can dig.
  • Overhang Fencing: This fence curves inward at the top. It's used for animals that can jump or climb.
• Hidden Fences: Some new exhibit designs hide safety fences with natural plants like ivy, or paint them black so they are hard to see from a distance.

Other Ways Zoos Keep Guests Safe

• Safety Signs: Signs remind visitors not to do unsafe things, like standing on barriers. They also point out things you might trip over.
• Zoo Staff: Security staff, guest services, and zookeepers are present to help prevent risky situations for visitors.

Rules for Zoos: Federal Regulations

The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) is a very important law in the United States. It was signed in 1966 and helps make sure animals in research, shows, and transport are treated well. This law has been updated many times, often to help farm animals or stop animal fighting.

The AWA sets basic rules for how animals in zoos should be cared for and shown to the public. It protects many animals, but it doesn't cover every single animal species.

The AWA gives the Secretary of Agriculture the power to make sure these rules are followed. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) are the groups that check if zoos are following the care standards. APHIS inspects zoos every year and looks into any complaints they receive.

Even with this national law, states often create their own, more detailed rules for animal care in zoos. The AWA has some limits: for example, it mainly covers warm-blooded animals. Also, APHIS has a small team of inspectors for many facilities across the country.