British zoo asks visitors not to wear animal prints

CHESSINGTON, England, Sept. 27 (UPI) -- A British zoo is asking visitors not to wear animal print clothing to the facility to avoid confusing or scaring the animals.

The Chessington World of Adventures said animals on a Serengeti-style reserve seemed to react negatively to animal prints worn by visitors to an attraction allowing visitors to be driven off-road through the area, The Guardian reported Friday.

"Animals are getting confused when they see what looks like zebras and giraffes driving across the terrain in a 7.5 tonne [8.2 ton] truck," spokeswoman Natalie Dilloway said.

Zookeepers said some animals appeared to attempt to communicate with the visitors, while others seemed to mistake the people for predators.

The zoo said gray boiler suits are being kept on hand for visitors whose clothing resembles animal skin.