NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. – Allegations of animal abuse are the basis of a two-day search by Virginia State Police and the Attorney General’s office at Natural Bridge Zoo, according to court documents.
Search warrants show 95 animals were seized, both alive and dead. Parts of animals, like giraffe legs, and a zebra pelt, were seized as well.
Mark Cline owns and operates a business just across the road from the zoo, Dinosaur Kingdom II.
“I’ve known these people for 40 years and never seen any signs of abuse,” Cline said. “Groups like PETA, they have problems with people that fish, you’re hurting a fish because you got a hook in its lip. So you’ve got to understand it could be a standard that these people are, and these people might be taking care of their animals, but it might not agree with a certain group’s standard.”
[WATCH: Raw interview with Natural Bridge Zoo owner’s daughter, Gretchen Mogensen]
Lexington resident Hannah Hughes said she’s lived in the area for more than a decade but always steered clear of the zoo.
“I’ve heard rumors about the quality of kind of the animal care there, so it doesn’t really surprise me too much,” Hughes said. “But, it’s just shocking to hear how badly treated the animals were.”
The Humane Society of the United States was part of a previous undercover investigation at the zoo in 2014. They said that resulted in a $41,500 USDA fine. They’re thanking authorities for their recent investigation.
Debbie Leahy, senior strategist of Captive Wildlife for the Humane Society of the United States, released the following statement:
“We are thankful that Virginia’s Attorney General Animal Law Unit appears to be investigating Natural Bridge Zoo.
We have been following this zoo very closely for many years. Our 114 day 2014 undercover investigation at the facility showed horrendous cruelty and extreme neglect to the animals. The neglect was rampant and impacted animals ranging from giraffes and tiger cubs to primates and guinea pigs. There was a great deal of suffering and death from a lack of veterinary care, crowded conditions and reckless practices.
Our investigation showed tiger cubs handled by up to 140 people daily, were fed a cheap, nutritionally deficient diet and kept hungry so that the starving cubs could be easily controlled while being bottle-fed by the public. The cubs were never examined by a veterinarian, even when they suffered from chronic diarrhea and a fecal test that revealed they were infected with coccidia and giardia. Our investigation ultimately resulted in a $41,500 USDA fine.
Justice for these animals is long overdue and this pitiful roadside zoo needs to be recognized for what it really is – profit in exchange for the inhumane treatment of animals and a constant public safety risk.”
Debbie Leahy, senior strategist of Captive Wildlife for the Humane Society of the United States
Zoo staff are scheduled to appear in court on December 20.
Watch the Humane Society of United States video by clicking here.
See more coverage below:
- Original story: Search at Natural Bridge Zoo in Rockbridge County