Target: Bernadette Juarez, Deputy Administrator of APHIS Animal Care program
Goal: Launch a full federal investigation into alleged animal neglect, unsafe enclosure conditions, and multiple animal deaths at an exotic open-roam park.
A deeply troubling series of allegations has emerged from an open-roam exotic animal park in Texas, where a former employee has claimed that a severe flea infestation went inadequately addressed, six animals died in a short period, and multiple species were subjected to substandard care. According to the former employee, a monkey named Yaya — on whose body she photographed a close-up flea infestation — subsequently died, along with a capybara, chicken, duck, alpaca, and baby buffalo. She also alleged that lemur enclosures were dirty, that a serval cat was housed in a chain-link enclosure that allowed it to reach or nip at nearby visitors, and that several species including baboons, lemurs, and tortoises were fed only once per day.
The former employee also claimed that giraffes were fed human food including potato chips when their regular feed ran out — a practice the park owner acknowledged occurred on occasion. The park operates on a free-roam model that the former employee alleged could result in animals fighting one another. The park’s owner has disputed several of the claims, attributing animal deaths to cold weather, old age, and accidental ingestion of a tarp, and stated that the flea issue was limited in scope and addressed within a day. However, the discrepancy between the former employee’s account and the owner’s response — combined with the alleged death of six animals and reported concerns about enclosure safety — warrants urgent independent investigation.
Exotic animals in open-roam parks are entirely dependent on their operators for appropriate food, shelter, veterinary care, and safe housing — and when those obligations are not met, the consequences can be fatal, as this case reportedly demonstrates. USDA APHIS holds federal oversight authority over licensed exotic animal facilities and has both the jurisdiction and the responsibility to investigate these conditions thoroughly. Demand a full and unannounced federal inspection of this facility to determine whether animals currently on the property are receiving adequate care and whether the reported deaths were preventable.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Bernadette Juarez,
We are writing with serious concern after a former employee of an open-roam exotic animal park in Texas claimed that a flea infestation affected animals including a monkey named Yaya — who she photographed covered in fleas and who subsequently died — and that six animals in total died within a short period. Additional allegations include dirty lemur enclosures, a serval cat housed in a chain-link enclosure accessible to visitors, animals fed only once per day, and giraffes fed potato chips when their regular food ran out. The park owner has disputed several of these claims, but the volume and specificity of the allegations demand independent federal scrutiny.
We acknowledge that the park owner has stated all animal deaths are reported to the USDA as required and that the facility undergoes annual checks. However, annual inspections alone are insufficient to address the kind of alleged ongoing neglect described in this case. The alleged flea infestation, reportedly inadequate feeding schedules, and alleged enclosure safety concerns — if accurate — represent potential violations of the Animal Welfare Act that require prompt investigation rather than waiting for a scheduled review.
We respectfully demand that your office conduct an immediate, unannounced inspection of this facility to assess current animal welfare conditions, review the circumstances surrounding the alleged deaths of six animals, and determine whether the facility is operating in compliance with federal animal welfare standards. Exotic animals in human care deserve rigorous and consistent protection — and we ask that your office act now to ensure they receive it.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Abejaobrera
