• LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The sight of an exotic animal can be a welcome distraction, even a temporary antidote, for a sick child. But you can't simply slap a leash and surgical mask on a rhino and march it through the front door of a hospital for a visit.
• That's why more than 14 accredited zoos and aquariums across the country have teamed up with local pediatric hospitals to beam in footage of sea otters getting their teeth brushed, baby tiger cubs getting belly rubs and pandas munching on bamboo, said Jennifer Fields of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in Baltimore.
• For kids with cancer, kidney problems or just a broken leg, temporarily forgetting why they are stuck in a hospital can be a step toward recovery. Videos show animals like sharks, meerkats and gorillas eating, romping or receiving care while educators provide fun facts for kids and maps show the animal's natural environment. The footage supplements popular show-and-tell sessions where trainers introduce hospitalized kids to smaller -- and less ferocious -- animals like snakes, anteaters, jellyfish and crabs. But not all children can attend those visits because of germs, surgery or rehab.
• Zoos and aquariums from California to New Jersey have established video projects to give every kid a chance to see out-of-the-ordinary wildlife. One of the largest is the month-old San Diego Zoo Kids, which is beamed to every room, waiting area and clinic at Rady Children's Hospital San Diego.
• Tino Pepe, 4, who sat surrounded by stuffed animals on his hospital bed, is a huge fan. He is well-versed in the San Diego Zoo's exhibits, being a frequent visitor. When Tino and his mom go to the hospital for blood work, they'll often stop at the zoo afterward as a reward.
• Tino was born without kidney function and spent the first half of his life on a dialysis machine. Two years ago, his mom, Yvette, gave him one of her kidneys. This January trip to the hospital was to clear up an infection.
• "He will always have stuff to deal with. It's just part of his life, our lives," said his dad, John Pepe.
• Tino relates to a part of a video featuring a baby orangutan that had open heart surgery. Staffers are following the small ape through its recovery.

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