Is It Safe?

I don't know if there is a single question which gets asked more - or causes me more dread - at work than those three words, and the more long-winded variants thereof.  Is it safe?  Is it safe for visitors, is it safe for staff, is it safe for animals?  And what is "it"?  That's the really frustrating part.  "It" can be just about anything.

Is it safe for visitors to interact with wild animals (a question that we'll pretend is completely unrelated to yesterday's post)?  In a walk-through exhibit?  In a feeding opportunity?  As an educational ambassador?  Is it different if it's a small, private encounter for select VIPs, versus an experience that's open to the general public?

Is it safe for keepers to share space with an animal?  Certain keepers, depending on their training an experience?  Certain animals, but not others (such as it's safe to go in with the males, but not the females)?  Certain times of year, such as not in breeding season/rut?  Yes, but only if working in groups?

Is it safe for animals to be in a mixed species exhibit?  There's a lot of factors that go into determining that.  What size enclosure?  What are the personalities and histories of the individuals involved?  What are the sexes of the animals involved?  Will you be trying to breed one or both species?

Is enrichment (including exhibit features) safe?  How likely is the animal to eat it/choke on it/stab itself with it/strangle itself with it/etc?  A pool can pose drowning risks, and a climbing structure can pose falling risks.  Where do you draw the line between unacceptable risk and allowing the animal to express natural behaviors?   

Are exhibits safe for keepers to work in?  Keepers can fall from climbing structures and get hurt, for example.  Even more dangerous are aquatic features, especially those exhibits that require keepers or aquarists to dive (fun fact: a surprisingly large chunk of the AZA accreditation application is dedicated to answering questions about your dive team, if you have one, and safety protocols pertaining to them).

Is it safe to work at all?  Animals need care no matter what, which means that keepers must be prepared to work in extreme weather conditions, from hurricanes to blizzards.  How can zoos make sure that animals are being cared for (and safe) while keepers themselves are safe in such conditions?

Safety concerns can pop up in every aspect of the job.  Whenever we want to use a new cleaning material, a new paint, a new building material, whatever, it has to be rigorously screened by our vet to make sure that it's safe for the staff, the visitors, and the animals.  The later are the major wildcard - we have lots of research on how safe various materials and chemicals are for people, but much less so for wild animals.  Birds and amphibians are extra susceptible; exposure to the wrong cleaning chemical could be a death sentence for your animals.  Also, many zoo animals are smaller than humans, so could be more impacted by doses of exposure that humans wouldn't be troubled by.

It's no surprise that innovations in the zoo and aquarium world tend to be slower and more cautious than they may have been in the past.  We're as a rule much less open to experimentation, and every innovation is being (or at least should be) carefully, painstakingly thought out to make sure everyone, human and animal is safe.  It can be maddeningly tedious at times, but the well-being of humans and animals should always be the top priority.