people young and old relish the chance to interact with some cute animals
Sheep and goats may not be known as party animals, but they're increasingly at the center of celebrations as petting zoos grow in popularity in the U.S. for birthdays, graduations and a range of other bashes.
Petting a gentle animal of any kind seems to appeal to the young, the old and everyone in between. Daycare centers, schools, churches and even nursing homes rent mobile zoos that will bring animals and handlers to them or organize trips to petting zoos. "You can see the absolute joy as they are sitting there stroking some animal, particularly if it's the first time they have touched one," said Sky Shivers, superintendent of Fairview Farms at the Los Angeles County Fair.
Shivers said a good petting zoo is as educational as it is entertaining, before reeling off several fun facts: baseballs have wool in their cores; female goats have beards like males; and while sheep prefer grass to weeds, goats want it the other way around. Sheep and goats are popular because they only have bottom teeth and are safer around children. "Ponies and donkeys have teeth on the top and bottom and are more likely to nip fingers," Shivers said. Even so, pony rides are often coupled with petting zoos.
The animals included in modern petting zoos run the gamut from tortoises to hares. Some even include exotic critters like wallabies and llamas while others offer creatures that can be found closer to home, such as deer and donkeys. People often like to see babies, so Brendon Kline features baby chicks, ducks and bunnies, small potbellied pigs and a baby goat at Party Animalz Farm in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. "A lot of the older people enjoy it as much as the children do," Kline said. "A lot of them grew up on farms and these are animals they don't see every day anymore."
All God's Creatures in Chino Hills, east of Los Angeles, features Serenity the silly goose and Goliath, a 36-kilogram turtle. Owner Lori Bayour takes the animals on the road to hospices, city neighborhoods, parties and a rodeo. Faith Lundgren loves to watch her grandson at Bayour's petting zoo each October at the Industry Hills Charity Pro Rodeo. "The animals don't shy away from the kids at all," Lundgren said. "Sometimes they even make the first move. They enjoy being there as much as the kids enjoy seeing them."
But not everyone thinks petting zoos are a good thing. "We think they're a bad idea," said Meredith Turner, spokeswoman for the animal advocacy group Farm Sanctuary. "The animals are kept in an unnatural environment, and they teach kids that animals exist for our entertainment, when in actuality, they exist for their own reasons."
Animals need to be clean, healthy and gentle. Handlers should provide feed for the animals and clean up after them. Another must is a sanitizing station so those who pet the animals can wash their hands. Another thing to keep in mind: a bad experience for a child can last a lifetime. "You can't leave them alone," Shivers said. "They will get knocked down and scream and cry and be afraid of animals for the rest of their lives."
男女老少樂於和可愛的動物互動
綿羊和山羊也許不是派對常客，但由於寵物動物園在美國的生日慶祝會、畢業典禮與其他派對宴會上日益受歡迎，綿羊和山羊漸漸成為慶祝活動的焦點。
撫摸性情溫和的動物，對所有的人來說，不分年齡大小，都有著一股吸引力。托兒所、學校、教會，乃至於安養院，都會租下提供動物與動物管理員的行動寵物動物園，或是安排前往寵物動物園遊玩。「洛杉磯郡展覽會」上的費爾紐農場負責人絲凱施佛斯說：「當他們坐在那裡撫摸著動物時，特別是那些第一次摸到動物的人，你可以在他們身上明顯看到他們所流露的喜悅。」
施佛斯說，管理良好的寵物動物園既富教育性，亦具娛樂性。她接著滔滔不絕地列舉了一些有趣的事實：棒球球心含有羊毛、雌山羊與雄山羊一樣有鬍鬚、綿羊較愛吃牧草，較不愛吃野草，但山羊則反其道而行。綿羊和山羊受歡迎的原因，是牠們只有下顎長牙齒，在兒童周圍會比較安全。施佛斯說：「小馬和驢子上下顎都有牙齒，因此比較可能會咬人手指。」即便如此，騎小馬往往是寵物動物園會提供的活動。
現代寵物動物園所囊括的動物圍範很廣，從烏龜到野兔都有。有的甚至還包括了外來動物，像是小袋鼠和駱馬；有的則提供了可以在住家附近找到的動物，例如鹿和驢子。人們往往喜歡看動物幼仔，所以布蘭登克萊在美國賓州的「派對動物農場」推出了小雞、小鴨與小兔子，還有小迷你豬及一隻初生的小山羊。克萊說：「很多年齡較長的人也像小孩子一樣很喜歡這些動物。他們之中有許多人在農場裡長大，而現在他們不會每天看到這些動物了。」
位於洛杉磯東邊奇諾崗市的「神造動物」養有一隻傻鵝瑟寧倫蒂，與一隻重達卅六公斤的烏龜歌利亞。動物的主人洛莉拜尤爾將這些動物帶上路，去到安寧病房、城市近郊、派對及一場牛仔競技賽。費絲倫格蘭喜歡在每年十月，帶著孫子前往「工業崗慈善職業牛仔競技賽」，看著他在寵物動物園裡玩耍。她說：「這些動物對小孩完全不會怕生，有時牠們還更主動。牠們很喜歡小孩的陪伴，就像小孩喜歡和牠們玩一樣。」
但不是每個人都認為寵物動物園是個好主意。動物權益組織「農場庇護所」發言人梅瑞迪絲透納說：「我們認為這是個壞主意，動物被關在一個不自然的環境裡，又教導兒童，讓他們以為動物存在的目的是為了娛樂我們，而事實上，動物是為牠們自己而存在。」
動物必須乾淨、健康又性情溫和。照顧動物的人要提供飼料，事後還要負責清理。另一不可或缺的是消毒站，以供撫摸動物的人清潔雙手。另一件要謹記的事情：對兒童來說，不好的經驗可能讓他們一輩子都揮之不去。施佛斯說：「你不行丟下他們不管，他們會被撞倒、大叫大哭，然後從此之後都會害怕動物。」
資料來源 http://chinapost.com.tw/guidepost/topics/default.asp?id=4128&sub=23
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