Bad news for leopard-jegging wearers: a British zoo has banned animal-print clothing so that patrons don’t get attacked by the animals.
The BBC and the Daily Telegraph report that Chessington World of Adventures Resort in Surrey, England, has just opened a new safari trail inspired by the Serengeti Plains that allows visitors to see rhinos, giraffes and flamingos up close, and the staff is afraid that the animals might try to approach visitors decked out in animal-print apparel — or worse, pounce on them if they feel threatened.
Prints you can’t wear anywhere in the wildlife park include “zebra, giraffe, leopard, cheetah, tiger, spotted hyena, striped hyena and African wild dog.” Bouncers will enforce the rule by giving violators dull grey suits to wear instead.
“It’s possible the animals could misinterpret the clothing if they are looking out for signs of danger,” Martin Stevens, an animal behavior expert at the University of Exeter, told the BBC. “However, animals will process a whole bunch of information, including smell and how it’s moving, to deduce whether it’s a threat.”