Iowa Zoo Shutdown from Animal Neglect

Incident Date:
12/20/2019
Location:
Manchester, IA - USA
Facility Name:
Cricket Hollow Zoo
Facility Type:
Non-accredited Facility (RSZ)
Incident Category:
Animal health issue (RX)
Species:
Bears
Animal:
Animal disposition:
Removed/Re-housed

Summary:

Over the past decade, the USDA and Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship have together documented hundreds of violations of state and federal animal welfare laws at the Cricket Hollow Zoo, which include the zoo’s repeated refusal to provide life-saving veterinary care, inadequate staffing to care for the animals, mishandling of animals, rotting food and moldy water, dangerous enclosures, lack of shelter from the elements during the extreme heat of Iowa summers and piercing cold of Iowa winters, muddy enclosures with free standing water, and intolerable accumulation of animal feces and waste. The animals were finally removed on December 9th and 12th.

Action take by Born Free USA:

Notes: