PETA, two others threatening to sue Waccatee Zoo if it doesn’t adhere to their demands
PETA has an ultimatum for Waccatee Zoo.
PETA – which stands for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals – and two members of the public who have visited the facility have issued an intent to sue Waccatee Zoo under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) if it doesn’t allow PETA to arrange the transportation of its ESA-protected animals to “reputable facilities.”
Jeff Futrell, the facility’s zookeeper, said a call from a Sun News reporter was the first he had heard of the notice from PETA and that his family, who own the zoo, had no further comment.
PETA has long targeted the Socastee zoo, claiming the facility mistreats lions, ring-tailed lemurs and other ESA-protected animals.
The major allegations listed in the 35-page intent to sue notice, the plaintiffs argue the following:
- Inadequate veterinary care for Lila the tiger, among other failings, led to the endangered tiger’s death at the facility earlier this year. She had spent months wasting away, losing fur, and pacing in her cramped cage.
- Endangered parrots are confined to cramped, unsanitary cages where they can barely expand their wings fully, let alone fly. Parrots at Waccatee appear to exhibit abnormal feather-plucking behavior, indicating psychological distress likely caused by solitary confinement and environmental deprivation.
- Visitors regularly observe the lions at the facility, Princess and Simba, pacing back and forth in small and unsanitary cages. They live in solitary confinement, even though lions are highly social animals.
“If Waccatee won’t get these suffering animals the care that they deserve, it can expect legal action,” PETA Foundation Deputy General Counsel for Captive Animal Law Enforcement Brittany Peet said in a news release provided to The Sun News. “PETA stands ready to help these animals find spacious homes and competent caretakers, before any others die as Lila did.”
PETA noted in the news release that Waccatee has a history of federal Animal Welfare Act citations dating back at least two decades for violations that include failing to provide animals with adequate veterinary care and keeping bears and cougars in enclosures lacking adequate space.
In May, a federal inspection report said that Waccatee received several citations after leaving two limping sheep without veterinary care, failing to provide animals with clean water and neglecting safety protocols, resulting in the escape of a capuchin monkey during the inspection.
Along with PETA, which often refers to Waccatee as the “Worst Roadside Zoo in America,” Matthew Howard and Lexie Jordan are listed as plaintiffs in the suit. The ESA requires plaintiffs to inform potential defendants at least 60 days prior to legal action.
Myrtle Beach animal facilities on PETA’s radar
PETA has also targeted Myrtle Beach Safari, which is also located in Socastee, several times.
The organization has touted “victories” against stars from the popular Netflix docu-series “Tiger King,” including Myrtle Beach Safari’s Bhagavan “Doc” Antle.
He is facing felony charges in Virginia related to illegal wildlife trafficking. He was indicted last October following a months-long investigation by the Virginia Attorney General’s animal law unit, according to a news release from the office.
Antle’s charges include felony counts of wildlife trafficking and conspiracy to commit wildlife trafficking, along with misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species Act.
The charges are related to lion cubs transported from a Virginia facility, Wilson’s Wild Animal Park, to Antle’s facility in Myrtle Beach, also known as The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (T.I.G.E.R.S.). The animal cruelty indictments allege he carried or caused the lions to be carried in a “cruel, brutal, or inhumane manner, so as to produce torture or unnecessary suffering.”
Antle’s jury trial is set to begin July 25, 2022 in Fredick Circuit Court, according to Virginia court records.
