"Hippos Are the Deadliest Mammals in Africa, and the Los Angeles Zoo Wants You to Pet Them."
That's the headline of a statement issued by PETA, which expressed outrage over the "Hippo Experience Tour" at the LA Zoo, during which visitors can get up close and person with a mother hippo and her baby.
The statement says that PETA has contacted the USDA and is calling for an investigation because it says the experience violates the Animal Welfare Act. "Depriving a mother of the opportunity to raise her baby in peace without the continuous stress of strangers approaching her, eager to touch her, is dangerous to visitors and animals alike," PETA writes.
The Zoo is fighting back, saying the tour follows federal law. Spokeswoman April Spurlock told NBC4 in LA that there is a protective barrier in place and there's staff to monitor the experience. "Most importantly," she told the news outlet, "it is always the animal's choice to participate in the experience and to interact with guests."
In the statement, PETA cites a number of examples to support their objection, starting with a human-wildlife conflict study conducted in Uganda which found that hippos are the deadliest mammals in Africa with a casualty rate of 86.7 percent. "Mother hippos," PETA writes, "are particularly dangerous, often attacking crocodiles, lions, or anyone they perceive as a threat to their calf."
The zoo's "Hippo Experience Tour" costs $15 and lasts about 20 minutes. On the tour, visitors get the chance to touch a hippo and take pictures.
