Teenagers dressed as Easter bunnies turned away from zoo over fears they would cause animals 'psychological damage'

Teenagers dressed as Easter bunnies turned away from zoo over fears they would cause animals 'psychological damage'

• Cancer-sufferer and friends went bowling instead

A group of teenagers dressed as Easter bunnies were turned away from a zoo - amid fears they would 'psychologically damage' the animals.

Cancer-sufferer Laura Gibson, 15, and her friends were told to change out of their costumes before entry into Edinburgh Zoo in case they upset the creatures.

The trip had been planned as a special treat for the teen, who was joined by friends Hannah, Kirsty and Becki Nicholson and her brother Cameron, who was dressed as a chicken.

Denied entry: From left to right, Laura Gibson and her friends Hannah Nicholson, Cameron Gibson, and Kirsty and Becki Nicholson

But a Zoo employee told the group of four bunnies and a spring chicken that animals can get scared of people dressing up.

Miss Gibson, from the Scottish capital, wrote on her blog: 'Arrived at the zoo and went to the ticket desk where the manager said we weren't allowed in due to our inappropriate attire that would scare and upset the animals and cause them "psychological damage". OH PUH-LEASE.

'There are people with face paint and masks and we weren't allowed in wearing bunny costumes.'

Kirsty Nicolson said her mother had made the outfits and the youngsters were miserable when they were told they could not wear them into the zoo.

She said: 'We had planned this as a special treat for Laura. What is so scary about bunnies?'

Psychologically damaging: A spokesman from Edinburgh Zoo said: 'There is very real evidence that humans in costume can cause distress to some of the zoo animals. This is particularly the case with our chimpanzees.'

Miss Gibson, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in March and is being treated at city's Sick Kids Hospital, and the rest of the group went bowling in their costumes instead.

 

 

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Zoo PR manager Rachel Goddard said: 'Laura and her friends weren't denied access, simply asked to remove costumes before going in.

'There is very real evidence that humans in costume can cause distress to some of the zoo animals.

'This is particularly the case with our chimpanzees, who get very anxious and disturbed.

'When we have our own costumed characters on-site, we ensure they're away from the animal enclosures.'