This morning, Life Sciences' Sarah Moore and Brianna Todd appeared on KING 5 TV's "New Day Northwest." In addition to green sea urchins, the live television audience got to visit with Esteban, our boa constrictor. Here's the clip!
Monday, January 31, 2011
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Why aren't we allowed to touch the snakes at PSC like that lady on TV?
ReplyDeleteHello anonymous. That's a great question.
ReplyDeleteAs you saw in the clip, our audience member learned a lot from a personal interaction with Esteban. It would be great if every snake show at Pacific Science Center ended with a volunteer from the audience getting to touch the snake. However the studio had a place to wash up, which right now our stage does not.
Unfortunately snakes and other reptiles can carry bacteria such as salmonella. These are removed by washing, but we would want our audience members to have immediate access, and right now there is not a hand washing sink in building 1 where demonstrations take place.
This is a great opportunity to remind everyone that you should wash your hands after touching any animal. Kids should also be taught not to approach unfamiar animals unless the animal is with a trusted adult who tells them it is ok. Animals are unpredictable. It's part of what makes them so fascinating and loveable, but it also means we should be cautious and respectful around them.