News / Animals
Ferret caught sneaking into Lido
Staff at Bristol Lido were in for a surprise when a furrier-than-usual member of the public strolled in for a swim.
The creature, perhaps on his way back from ferreting around the independent shops on Alma Vale Road, bypassed unsuspecting staff to have a nose around in the cloakroom.
The name ‘ferret’ derives from Latin meaning ‘little thief’, but luckily his plans were foiled before any damage was done.
is needed now More than ever
Kiara Baretta was working at the time. “We were standing behind the desk when a new member said she’d seen just an animal run through,” she says. “We thought it was probably a dog as sometimes they do wander in, so we were having a look around for it and then suddenly, from under a dress bag, this ferret walks out.
“I didn’t know what to do – I just screamed and jumped on the desk. It was running around everywhere and I started crying. My colleague Amy left me for dead.”
See the whole encounter, as captured on CCTV:
https://www.facebook.com/lidospaandrestaurant/videos/1572747072757682/
“I don’t mind spiders or anything like that, but I just really hate ferrets and guinea pigs,” Kiara continues. “When I was 10 or 11, my best friend had ferrets. I never went near them – they smelled, they always tried to bite us, and they run so quickly – I would imagine them nipping at my ankles. Ever since I’ve hated them, and I’d not seen a ferret since. Then, I come across one at work, the one place I thought I was most safe.”
Ferrets are good swimmers, and many enjoy taking a dip, though it is still unclear what the little chap – suspected to be a lost pet – was doing near the Lido. Bristol24/7 hopes to weasel the truth out of him soon.
“One of the maintenance guys managed to catch it in the end – he used to breed ferrets so he knew what to do and he put it in a cage,” Kiara says. “My manager put the cage behind the desk and I couldn’t work properly for the rest of the day because it was looking at me. It was vile.”
The ferret was taken to the vet for a check-up after his adventure, and received the all-clear. The staff, however, are still recovering from their ordeal and continue to be in a bit of a stoat about the whole thing.
Take part in our reader survey at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/B247 to be in with a chance of winning a meal for two
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
