I Love Petting Zoos!

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I Love Petting Zoos!

This podcast is brought to you by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC - safer, healthier people.

[Kaya] Hi kids! Welcome to CDC Kidtastics Radio! I'm Kaya Kidtastic. Today, we're going to talk about how you can stay safe and healthy if you go to a petting zoo or an animal exhibit.

[Kids] Yay!

[Chris] I love petting zoos!

(Animal sounds)

[Kaya] I do too, Chris, but there are some things we need to know so that we don't get sick.

[Karmen] Animals at petting zoos can make us sick?!

[Kaya] Yep! They can carry germs that can make us sick.

[Kids] Yuck!

[Kaya] But there are things we can do to keep from getting sick.

[Caydan] Like what?

[Kaya] The most important thing we can do is wash our hands!

[Kids] Wash our hands?!?!

(Sound of hand washing)

[Kaya] So, it's important that we wash our hands really well after petting the animals or touching the animals' pens or cages.

[Kids] Okay!

[Kaya] Especially before we eat or drink. To wash your hands really well, you have to use lots of soap and water and rub them together for at least 20 seconds, or the time it takes to sing the 'Happy Birthday' song twice!

[Karmen] What if there isn't any soap and water?

[Kaya] Great question, Karmen! If there isn't any soap and water, you should use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Ask your mom or other adult taking you to the petting zoo to carry some with them.

[Caydan] OK. What else?

[Kaya] You shouldn't take any food or drinks near the animals and never share your food with them.

(Sound of someone eating)

[Kaya] After you've touched an animal or anything around an animal, don't touch your mouth, eyes, or nose until after you wash your hands.

[Chris] Is there anything else we need to know?

[Kaya] Well, if you have brothers or sisters younger than five, you have to help your parents watch them really carefully! They like to put everything in their mouth and they could get really sick!

[Karmen] Wow! I have a little sister and I'm gonna make sure my mom knows all this stuff.

[Kaya] Also, never ever kiss an animal at a petting zoo or animal exhibit.

[Kids] Eeewww!

[Kaya] That's a really easy way to get sick.

[Caydan] OK. If we go to a petting zoo or animal exhibit, we need to wash our hands or use a liquid hand sanitizer before we touch our eyes, nose, or mouth and before we eat or drink anything.

[Chris] We shouldn't take food or drinks near the animals.

[Karmen] We shouldn't share food with the animals.

[Caydan] We need to help our moms watch our little brothers and sisters really closely.

Chris] And we should never kiss an animal.

[Kaya] You got it!

[Kids] Yay!

[Kaya] Now, go spread the word, not the germs.

[Kids] Okay!

[Kaya] Thanks for listening to CDC Kidtastics Radio. We'll talk to you again soon. Until then... be a safer, healthier kid!!

For the most accurate health information, visit www.cdc.gov or call 1-800-CDC-INFO, 24/7.