Kinkajou in Florida Petting Zoo Bites Birthday Girl Holding Lettuce as She Walked Over Enclosure

When a birthday girl walked over the enclosure of a kinkajou in a Florida petting zoo to give it a lettuce leaf, the animal bit her instead.

Florida Petting Zoo Kinkajou Bites Birthday Girl

During a birthday celebration at a Miami petting zoo, a peculiar incident occurred when a girl was bitten by a kinkajou while attempting to feed it a piece of lettuce. The ordeal unfolded on October 29 at Julio's Zoo 2 U, a local petting zoo equipped with proper permits from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. This venue frequently hosts birthday parties, boasting a petting farm on-site.

Post the celebration, FWC officers interviewed the girl's father two days later, confirming that his daughter had indeed been bitten by a kinkajou during the event. Kinkajous, mammals commonly found in tropical rainforests and part of the Procyonidae family, share ancestry with raccoons.

The owner of Julio's Zoo 2 U, Julio Delgado, distributed lettuce for children to feed the farm animals during the party. The girl, however, approached the kinkajou's enclosure, placing her fingers near the mesh wire in an attempt to feed the creature. In the process, the kinkajou bit the lettuce, inadvertently puncturing the girl's right index finger.

Despite concerns about the kinkajou's vaccination, Delgado assured the family that all was well. Following the party, the girl received medical attention at an urgent care facility, where she was advised to undergo a series of rabies shots. The first of these shots was administered on October 30, with subsequent updates on her condition pending.

Petting Zoo Safety Violations

Regarding the petting zoo, officers discussed the kinkajou and its enclosure with Delgado. He presented a screenshot of a February 2023 purchase receipt for a female kinkajou, born two months prior, stating he raised it as his "mother's pet." While Delgado had appropriate signs against wildlife feeding, they weren't in the kinkajou's enclosure, and there were no safety barriers, violating FWC statutes. Delgado committed to adding barriers.

FWC officers noted the enclosure's improper size, but Delgado claimed it was temporary, with a proper one for permanent residence. Delgado received a citation for cage requirements and five warnings for maintaining captive wildlife leading to injury, failure to document wildlife acquisitions accurately, and standard caging standards. This incident report exposes lapses in safety measures and enclosures at Julio's Zoo 2 U.

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Kinkajou

The kinkajou, scientifically known as Potos flavus, inhabits tropical rainforests from southern Mexico to Brazil. With small, hand-like feet featuring slightly webbed fingers ending in sharp claws, kinkajous use their dense, wooly fur as a raincoat. Their tails, longer than their heads and bodies, are thickly furred and slightly prehensile.

The name "golden drinker" reflects their golden-brown coat and love for nectar, while the common name "kinkajou" comes from a term meaning "honey bear," acknowledging their penchant for raiding beehives. Despite resembling monkeys, kinkajous, belonging to the carnivorous family Procyonidae, share traits with primates but are distinct.

Among carnivores, only kinkajous and binturongs possess a prehensile tail, serving purposes like balance, reaching for food, and even snuggling while sleeping. Their remarkable ability to hang by the tip of their strong tail and climb back up sets them apart in the animal kingdom.

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