{
  "id": 5151590,
  "title": "“Nightmare”: Children’s Petting Zoo Horrified to Realize Its Adorable Animals Are Carrying Rabies",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/nightmare-childrens-petting-zoo-horrified-to-realize-its-adorable",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-02T18:53:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Futurism",
    "slug": "futurism",
    "url": "https://futurism.com/future-society/nightmare-petting-zoo-rabies"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A traveling petting zoo in North Carolina has found itself at the center of a health crisis after several of its baby goats tested positive for rabies. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services issued a warning about the deadly nature of the virus, stating that rabies is almost always fatal in mammals, including humans, unless prompt treatment is administered. The goats were believed to have contracted the virus from a skunk that entered their pen in late July. The zoo's owner, Misty Love, expressed deep distress over the situation, explaining that she had kept the goats in an isolated pen because they were too young to receive the rabies vaccine. The skunk, which was discovered in the pen, was killed and tested positive for rabies. Lab tests confirmed that three goats had the virus on August 28, with one more suspected but untested. All four goats were subsequently euthanized to prevent further spread of the virus. Parents who received warning about the situation were shocked and panicked, with one mother describing her initial disbelief and subsequent fear. Confirmed cases of human rabies infection in the US are extremely rare, with fewer than ten deaths reported annually, according to the CDC. However, the potential dangers of the virus are so serious that over a million people seek treatment for possible rabies exposure each year. The health department urged anyone who visited the petting zoo between July 28 and August 27 to contact local health officials to determine if they require treatment. During this period, the zoo had visited an assisted-living center, a back-to-school event, and six private gatherings. The CDC's decision to pause rabies testing assistance to states earlier this year during the Trump administration has raised concerns about the current state of rabies testing and response capabilities.",
  "summary": "\"Reality set in as to how serious this situation was, and I panicked.\" The post “Nightmare”: Children’s Petting Zoo Horrified to Realize Its Adorable Animals Are Carrying Rabies appeared first on Futurism .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}