BRIDGEPORT — A family visiting Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport got a bit of a scare Sunday afternoon when their little girl was bitten on the finger by a red-rumped agouti.
Zoo spokesperson Lisa Clair said a red-rumped agouti is a “small South American rodent,” that is about the size of a “large guinea pig” and looks similar to a squirrel. The animal, she said, is housed in an enclosure that consists of plexiglass panels.
Clair said the child, who she estimated was “toddler-aged,” must have found a gap between two of the plexiglass panels and stuck her finger into the enclosure.
“We’ll be taking a look at that enclosure to make sure any holes or gaps are sealed up,” Clair said. “The safety of our visitors is important to us and we don’t want this to happen again.”
Though the bite was not serious, Clair said the child’s mother opted to take the girl to a nearby hospital an evaluation and treatment.
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Clair said red-rumped agoutis do not carry rabies and all of the zoo’s animals are under veterinary care and are properly vaccinated.
kat.russell@stamfordadvocate.com