petting zoo
A petting zoo is a zoo in which animals are kept
- are robust and calm enough to be petted and fed,
- seek contact with people on their own initiative or at least not avoid them,
- show little aggressive behavior and
- usually cannot cause serious injuries.
The term petting zoo is also used for corresponding sections in larger zoological gardens.
Petting animals
In order to ensure the health of the animals, the feed is provided by the zoos and held either in vending machines or from a kiosk.
Today petting zoos are often set up in such a way that the animals have their own retreat and can seek contact with visitors on their own.
Common animals are domesticated goats and sheep species , guinea pigs , rabbits , pot-bellied pigs and poultry .
Petting zoos are particularly popular with children, as they enable them to have direct contact with the animals.
The first petting zoos were set up in the 1930s, for example in the zoos in Leipzig and Munich . The term came about later and goes back to the veterinarian Wolfgang Salzert .
Petting pool
The petting pool is a special form . For example , stingrays and paddle-nosed hammerhead sharks can be petted at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia . There is also a petting pool in the Universeum in Gothenburg (Sweden), as well as in the Aquarium of the Zoological Garden in Berlin .
