A ZOO owner has hit back at suggestions that visitors might be at risk after his park became the focus of a safety investigation.

David Gill, owner of Dalton's South Lakes Wild Animal Park, said an incident when a toddler was bitten by an animal was "the family's own fault - not our fault" and had been "blown out of proportion".

The 18-month-old baby was left in a pushchair, lodged against the pen of a South American rodent called an agouti to stop it rolling down a slope.

Witnesses told Mr Gill the child put his hand on the fence and the animal bit his finger.

He was taken to Furness General Hospital for stitches and later went to Preston Royal Infirmary for surgery.

A site visit was carried out the day after the accident by health and safety officials, which found that everything in the zoo, which drew 200,000 visitors last year and has 7,500 season-ticket holders, was in order.

But the toddler's parents, whose names Mr Gill would not disclose but who come from Accrington, Lancashire, have consulted solicitors, who have written to Mr Gill to say they are looking into the case and to inform his insurers.

This week Mr Gill, whose zoo has won a number of tourism awards, including Family Attraction of the Year Award 2000, insisted that as long as people followed the rules they would come to no harm.

"A kid put his finger through the fence and the animal, which is no bigger than a rabbit, nibbled it - the injury was no more than having a finger trapped in a door, it was a nip."

He added: "Why, when you visit a zoo, should you expect it to be totally and utterly safe? People have to be responsible.

When you drive through a safari park you don't get out in the lions' enclosure.

You don't let your kid stroke a stray dog.

If you take the necessary precautions then your day should be trouble-free."

The zoo, which is licensed with Barrow Borough Council under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981, is inspected on an ad-hoc basis by health and safety officials, by Ministry of Agriculture vets and undergoes a full inspection every four years by the Zoo Inspectorate.

Mr Gill, who said he has received an "absolutely astounding" number of phone calls and letters of support, said every animal with potential to cause harm was kept behind safety barriers.

Conditions on his zoo licence gave permission for animals such as kangaroos, lemurs and emus to wander freely in a four-acre Australian Bush-themed area.

"We have signs everywhere saying 'take care these animals can bite', 'do not cross the barrier' and 'kids must be supervised at all times'.

When we have school trips in, there must be an adult for every five children and we say they must not be left unaccompanied at any time.

We also have closed-circuit cameras."

Barrow Borough Council's chief environmental health officer David Hodson confirmed the agouti compound - which has a sign saying, 'Take care these animals can bite' - was inspected by health and safety officials the day after the accident and found to be adequate for the type of animal, which is not covered by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act.

There were also warning notices of sufficient size and number.

But, he said, officials would obtain the toddler's parents' side of the story before deciding whether or not to launch a full investigation.

"We would not ask David Gill to do anything other than what he has done already to protect the public," said Mr Hodson.

"But we have to discover the particular circumstances of this particular event.

That is normal procedure."

Meanwhile, Mr Gill said he felt "personally insulted" by the family's attitude when all he was trying to do was create an enjoyable experience for visitors.

"What I am trying to do here is to keep animals real, free and close to people.

If I had to put up barriers, we would back with a traditional zoo."

He added: "Nobody should be concerned about bringing children here - they haven't been in the past and they should not be now."