All about us
In this section you can discover all about the Wetheriggs Pottery site and about the work we do here at Wetheriggs Zoo and Animal Sanctuary.
About the site
About the animal rescue centre
Important safety note
It is important to note that our animals are not trained and are allowed to display their natural behaviour. We therefore insist that children must be supervised at all times to ensure their safety. If an animal is causing a problem, please alert a member of staff immediately.
E. coli statement
Wetheriggs Zoo and Animal Sanctuary is aware of recent events in petting farms which have closed to the public following outbreaks of E. coli* infections among children in particular. While all animals naturally carry a range of micro-organisms, some of which may cause ill health when transmitted to humans, precautions can be taken to minimise the spread of such infections. In the majority of cases E. coli is spread to humans through contact with the faeces of animals. In other cases it is transmitted through inadequate food preparation and cooking.
It is our long-standing policy to keep all public areas as clean as is reasonably possible, to encourage regular hand-washing with warm, soapy water, dried with hand dryers or clean paper towels, and to advise against putting fingers near mouths before doing so. This is in line with recent advice from the Health Protection Agency: “For direct animal-to-human transmission or indirect infection via the environment, good old soap and water is the best defence.”
*E. coli, or Escherichia coli to give it its full name, is a species of bacterium which is common in the intestines of animals and humans. E. coli 0157 is a strain that can pose a serious health hazard to the very young and old in particular.
