A new ban on animal print clothing imposed by Chessington World of Adventures Resort in the U.K. is not likely to cause a roar in Gainesville.
A safari-themed park located south of Central London imposed a zero-tolerance ban on animal print clothing for visitors looking to take part in interactive experiences with the animals. Some of the prints banned include zebra, leopard and cheetah prints, due to claims that the patterns confuse the animals.
Jonathan Miot, the director of Santa Fe College’s Teaching Zoo, said it’s hard to determine whether the park should be enforcing the rule.
He said each zoo must make decisions it deems best for its collection. However, he said, he does not anticipate the local teaching zoo imposing such a ban anytime soon.
“I can’t remember any animals reacting negatively to animal print here at the zoo,” Miot said. “I have never experienced anything like that at any zoo I’ve ever worked at.”
Emily Welch, a 19-year-old UF biology sophomore, said it may be difficult to prove a correlation between the clothing patterns and zoo animal behavior.
“Their brains should be able to process size along with coloration,” she said. “Like, if you’re wearing a yellow-and-black striped shirt, they could tell the difference between you and a bee.”
A version of this story ran on page 3 on 10/3/2013 under the headline "Zoo dress code against animal prints not likely to reach Gainesville"
A curious tiger looks at the camera in the Carson Springs Wildlife Conservation Foundation last year. Select zoos have asked patrons to avoid wearing animal prints as they may confuse the animals.
