Hi everyone!
Just a few comments/questions.
 
My boss (2 ferret household) and his wife were visiting Brookfield Zoo (near
Chicago, IL) the other day and told me some things about what he saw.  I was
pretty pissed so I thought I would start with you guys (lucky you!).  They
went into the Children's Petting Zoo to check it out.  There is a part there
where a zoo employee will get an animal out of a cage then talk about it,
walk it around (holding it) a half circle of kids and their parents and let
them pet it and ask questions.  I have been there.  I have never been there
when they actually had the ferrets out but I have been there for several
other animals and it has usually been really informative, fact-based
information.  My boss told me that the girl starts (she is holding a ferret)
out by saying, "Kids, first of all you must understand that this animal is a
wild animal, and VERY mean.  They are not nice and not nice to children.
They bite all the time and are totally unpredictable.  You should NEVER
consider having one as a pet since they belong in the wild and are not
tame."  She said she would let them pet it (who the hell would want to at
this point) but ONLY pet it on the back.  She apparently had a death grip on
it's neck and back legs so that ONLY it's back was exposed to the kids.  My
boss said that this looked liked one of the most gentle ferrets he had ever
seen - at least as nice as his own (VERY GENTLE!!) and he could not believe
that they would say this sort of stuff to kids - AT A CHILDREN'S PETTING
ZOO!!!  I told him I would write to you guys for advice.  Should I write to
the zoo and ask for an explanation?  In the past I have had a membership to
this zoo.  I can't imaging wanting to fund this sort of mis-information in
the future, tho.  Anyone on this list from the GCFA (Greater Chicago-land
Ferret Association - I think) ((ROGER???)) want to comment?  I think that is
where the zoo gets it's "show" ferrets.  I'm in pet stores ALL the time
hearing dense 17 year olds tell me how evil ferrets are (and I used to work
in one and get chomped to bits by cock-a-toos, and parrots - I still have
the scars!), but I just can't tolerate it in a zoo.  Sorry for all the
venting!!
 
Tracy
[Posted in FML issue 2066]