Washington, D.C.– Born Free USA, a global leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation, today commended the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for releasing an Administrative Complaint accusing Dade City Wild Things owner Kathryn Stearns of failing to make a “good faith” effort to remedy Animal Welfare Act violations observed between 2010 and 2012, and listing several new violations discovered during recent inspections.[teaserbreak]
According to Adam M. Roberts, CEO of Born Free USA and the Born Free Foundation, “The tiger cubs and monkeys at Dade City Wild Things and other petting zoos may seem safe and cuddly, but that is far from the grim reality. These animals come from a vicious cycle of breeding and exploitation that goes on and on. It is standard in this horrific industry to separate wild animal babies from their own mothers because young animals are easier to handle. When they outgrow their ‘use’ at petting zoos, they are discarded and often land in other unqualified hands, fueling the exotic pet trade, or end up the responsibility of over-burdened and under-funded wildlife sanctuaries. We know that Dade City Wild Things is one of hundreds of such places around the country.”
The accusations paint a picture of systematic abuse and exploitation of the captive animals. The complaint states that Stearns “has continued to mishandle animals, particularly infant and juvenile tigers, exposing these animals and the public to injury, disease, and harm. [She] held or participated in events that included allowing members of the public to handle young and juvenile tigers, to paint the fur of young and juvenile tigers, and to force young juvenile tigers to ‘swim’ and to ‘play’ with members of the public.”
Since the Official Warning issued in 2012, Dade City Wild Things has repeatedly forced a young tiger to stay in a pool despite “the tiger’s obvious discomfort,” allowed a reporter to handle a young tiger as “the tiger [became] visibly stressed,” and dangled baby tigers by their tails and legs. The zoo has also shown complete disregard for the danger these animals pose to visitors, keeping primates and young tigers in enclosures that did not keep them sufficiently separated from the public.
Roberts explains, “The bottom line is that these animals are wild animals. They are inherently unpredictable and dangerous; they should not be confined, and they should never be handled by a human being.”
Born Free USA’s Exotic Animal Incidents Database contains many tragic incidents of human injury at petting zoos. For instance, a tiger cub bit a woman’s hand during an exhibit at the Tampa Bay Auto Mall. Two adult tigers and two cubs were on display so people could have their photographs taken with the tigers. In another incident, a tiger cub being used in a petting zoo at the New Mexico State Fair bit a man on the arm as the man was having his picture taken with the cub.
Roberts previously commented on Dade City Wild Things’ exploitation of tiger cubs in a 2012 ABC Television Good Morning America interview, noting, “You should never have close human contact with animals, especially actual petting of wild animals. They belong in the wild, and people should not get in the habit of being in close contact with them.”
Born Free USA urges the USDA to penalize Dade City Wild Things to the fullest extent of the law for their inexcusable treatment of animals, including confiscation of the animals so they may be given humane, lifetime care at a sanctuary.
Born Free USA is a global leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation. Through litigation, legislation, and public education, Born Free USA leads vital campaigns against animals in entertainment, exotic “pets,” trapping and fur, and the destructive international wildlife trade. Born Free USA brings to North America the message of “compassionate conservation”—the vision of the United Kingdom-based Born Free Foundation, established in 1984 by Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, stars of the iconic film Born Free, along with their son, Will Travers. Born Free’s mission is to end suffering of wild animals in captivity, conserve threatened and endangered species, and encourage compassionate conservation globally. More at www.bornfreeusa.org; www.twitter.com/bornfreeusa; and www.facebook.com/bornfreeusa.
Media Contact: Rodi Rosensweig, 203/270-8929, TheRodiCompany@gmail.com