Feds hit Horry County’s Waccatee Zoo with nearly $8K fine for violating animal welfare laws

A Myrtle Beach-area zoo frequently in the crosshairs of animal rights groups such as PETA settled a nearly $8,000 fine last month for violating federal animal welfare laws six times since 2020.

The Waccatee Zoological Farm along Enterprise Road in unincorporated Horry County was hit with a $7,800 levy after a series of site inspections turned up unsafe conditions and a lack of medical care, U.S. Department of Agriculture records show.

• On March 5, 2020, a female zebu and two adult llamas were seen to have have “significantly overgrown hooves.”
• On Oct. 22, 2020, an adult Dall ram was seen to have open sores on all its legs along with overgrown hooves, suggesting “the ailments had been ongoing and was overlooked.”
• On Oct. 22, 2020, a sullied water source was discovered for the zoo’s camel enclosure. Inspectors “could not visualize the bottom of the receptacle and the camels had no access to potable water.”
• On Jan. 26, 2021, two llamas were seen to have overgrown hooves and elongated toenails.
• On May 5, 2021, a pair of aoudad sheep were found to be limping, and their water receptacle was clouded with brown, murky water.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture database, Waccatee Zoo settled with the agency on March 30, though terms were not immediately known.

“Penalties like this are issued to the worst of the worst, and Waccatee’s history of neglecting animals makes it clear that it fits that bill,” PETA deputy general counsel Brittany Peet said in a statement Friday.

The fines come after PETA sent Waccatee a notice of its intent to sue under the federal Endangered Species Act. Just before Christmas, PETA cited in its 35-page letter “chronic and ongoing violations” of the federal law in caring for a chimpanzee, leopards, lions, parrots, ring-tailed lemurs, a horned owl and two tigers.

Details outlined in that letter include allegations that malnutrition and neglect led to the death of the zoo’s tiger, Lila, in 2021.

In a rare move, PETA offered to cover relocation, transport and veterinary costs should Waccatee agree to cede its animals.

Katherine Futtrell, a co-owner of the zoo, could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday.

This story was originally published April 8, 2022 at 2:02 PM.