NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. – The fate of Natural Bridge Zoo is still up in the air, as the zoo is set to face a seizure hearing on Wednesday, but the zoo’s attorney has filed for an injunction.
A federal judge heard the argument on Monday but still hasn’t decided whether court will go on on Wednesday.
The judge is giving both sides one last chance to argue. The zoo’s attorney and the state must submit a brief for him to review by Tuesday morning.
However, the judge said generally, it’s not a federal court’s job to interfere with state court matters before a court date.
The zoo’s attorney Mario Williams argues that the 10 days he has to prepare for a seizure hearing is not enough when he has thousands of documents to pour through and 95 animals for his vets to inspect.
He also said that in state court, if they lose, his clients won’t have the money to appeal.
Williams also argues that the zoo has passed their latest USDA inspections.
In the past year and a half, only two findings were documented. No attendant was present at a public feeding area, and one of the animal shelters, the muntjac pen, needed to be repaired.
The Attorney General’s office argues that they are prepared to proceed with the case on Wednesday. They say they’re bearing a financial burden as they pay for temporary housing and care of all 95 animals until a decision is made.
This is a developing story. We’ll bring you the latest updates on-air and online.