A zoonoses is [an infectious disease]
that is naturally transmissible from animals to humans,
and more than half of all infections that people get are zoonotic.
Some, like rabies, are 100% preventable
through vaccination and other methods. Zoonotic
germs can be bacterial, viral, or parasitic.
They can spread to humans through direct contact
or through food, water, or the environment.
At Science North, we have many animals and our Bluecoats
work very closely with them.
We have protocols in place to protect our staff and our visitors.
With me, I have Meghan Mitchell a Staff Scientist from third floor.
- Welcome. - Thank you.
What are some important considerations
when working with the animals of Science North?
Cleanliness is definitely one of the most important things that we do here.
So, for example, we wash our hands before and after
touching any of our animals or the habitats that they live in.
We also do a lot of disinfecting of our tools,
of the feeding bins, of habitat things that we put in their habitat.
And that protects us against any bacteria
like salmonella for example, that many reptiles can carry.
Do we need to protect our visitors?
We absolutely consider the visitors safety when caring for the animals.
So a straightforward example is asking them
to wash their hands before and after an animal encounter.
How likely is it that we could be infected by an animal from Science North?
There is always a risk but we go through a lot of training
with our animal care team
so that they understand all of the safety rules and also the risks.
Because we have these protocols in place.
we've never had an issue here at Science North
Does it work the other way around?
Do we need to protect our animals from getting sick from visitors?
We certainly do that as well.
It's the biggest reason why our visitors don't have access
to some areas of our animal care floor of the Northern Ecosystems.
So, for instance, visitors can't enter the animal care ring, the animal care center,
our anti rooms, and don't enter any of the animals habitats either.
Are the animals under your care vaccinated?
In the past, our skunks were vaccinated against rabies and distemper
based on the recommendations of our veterinarian.
And are your staff vaccinated against any zoonotic diseases?
Because we do care for live bats here at Science North,
our staff who are trained to handle them do have to get a pre-exposure rabies
vaccination before actually being able to touch and handle the bats.
Have you changed anything in your animal care protocols because of the pandemic?
Yes, we have.
At the start of the pandemic, we stopped allowing our visitors
to touch the animals because there was very little information about
how the virus could spread between non-humans and to non-humans.
Now that there is more research available, we can mitigate
most of the risks by handwashing.
So we have allowed our visitors to touch the reptiles now.
What about the mammals under our care?
So sadly, our visitors are not allowed to touch our mammals.
Because research has shown
that there's a higher chance that they could contract COVID-19.
And research has shown that many animals across North America
that have lived in zoos have actually tested positive for COVID-19.
So the animals that we have on the third floor are animals
that we could encounter in the wild.
What advice do you have if somebody encounters one of these animals outside?
If you see an animal outside or in the wild, it is always
the best idea just to leave it alone and not interact with it.
As tempting as it would be to try and touch, catch, or get a photo with it,
you could be putting yourself at risk, but also the animal at risk.
What happens if we encounter an animal that seems to be in distress
or maybe just needs our help?
So as an example, if you're helping a turtle cross the road, just make sure
that you are washing your hands after you're done touching the turtle.
If you ever encounter an animal that seems like it's ill, is in distress,
injured, or maybe just doesn't quite look right or too comfortable around humans,
I always suggest you stay away from it and contact a rehab center or a sanctuary
or even the MNRF to make sure that the animal gets the help it needs.
How important
is it for us to protect animal habitat?
It really is the key to conservation, is to protect animal's spaces
because we need to think and consider them
in all kinds of decisions that we make about natural spaces.
Animals need a place to live.
They need a place to hunt and scavenge and raise young and just to be.
So things that we can consider is
whether or not we want to use pesticides on our lawn or in our gardens,
what kind of flowers to plant if we're planting a garden, or even things like:
Is this wetland a better place for it to be
or is it better use as a parking lot?
Habitat fragmentation and degradation leads to a loss of biodiversity
and increased contact with the remaining species.
Livestock found in buffer zones between human settlements and ecosystems
can be a bridge between wildlife and human interactions.
Some North American diseases have been enhanced by biodiversity loss.
As bird biodiversity decreases, the incidence
of West Nile virus in humans increases.
Forest fragmentation has led to an increase of Lyme disease
because reduced biodiversity
has led to an increase in the population of white footed mice.
You might remember that the mice are a host for the black legged ticks
that spread Lyme disease.
On this increasingly crowded planet, we all need to work together
to prevent and control vector borne diseases.
At the very least, remember good hand-washing
technique
Thank you so much for joining us, Meghan.
Your information about animals and safety was greatly appreciated.
It was my pleasure. Thanks for inviting me.
And thank you for watching
and make sure to follow us on all of our social media channels.