The Garold Wayne Interactive Zoological Park is Exonerated by USDA of PeTA Allegations "Just cleaning up the rumors."
By Larry Russell - Page 1
On November 2, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA) made allegations to the press and TV media that The Garold Wayne Interactive Zoological Park in Wynnewood is "more a hellhole than a sanctuary" and that the U.S. Department of Agriculture should permanently revoke GW's exhibitor license. Film provided by PETA'a undercover investigator had clips shown on the internet that were completely out of context. Example: A goat with one horn knocked off was suffering and left unattended. In truth the goat, which lost is horn fighting or butting some inanimate object, was treated by the park's veterinarian and later euthanized because the topical medicine kept draining out through the sinuses.
Example: A tiger being hit by an employee using a rifle butt. In truth, a group of tigers were sedated in order to move them to their new compound at the back of the park. When one tiger lied down drowsy and the other tigers went after it, and the employee used the butt of the tranquilizer gun to keep the others off of it and from killing it.
Also not shown on the internet clip was that the employee wadded through the cage of awake tigers to save the drowsy one.
Example: A lion had its leg torn off by two new tigers in the neighboring pen. In truth, the animals were trying to fight, the lion got its front paw through the dividing fence, and the tigers tore its leg to the point the vet thought it would be better to be amputated. Joe Schreibvogel told the Gazette that the incident was documented and reported to the vet and the USDA. Both the vet and the USDA recommended the tigers be Euthanized because they were so Psychotic from their former treatment as performers they would always be a danger to both animals and humans. The injured lion is well, back in his big cat habitat and in perfect health. The destruction of those two tigers does not change the statistics on GW's kill rate of four percent annually, a figure that has been sustained since the park's opening seven years ago, and always for humane reasons. A phenomenal success story since so many of the park's rescued animals are in such bad shape when they arrive in Wynnewood.
GW Park desisted two years ago from accepting dead or dying livestock for animal food. The danger of disease from hooved stock was something the park did not want to take a chance on. The park is licensed to do carcass rendering but prefers to use mostly commercial animal food. Schreibvogel told the Gazette that it is still a constant problem that people come in the dead of night to leave a dead animal or a dying one tied to a fence. Such was the case with the horse with the broken leg. Park personnel spen tdays trying to locate the horse's owner. Area vets had no records to indicate the horse had been treated hereabouts. The horse was suffering and so it was put down, and the meat was used to feed the big cats.
As the the fines of $25,000 against the park, those accrued over a period of years, and all were for facility deficits, such as proper fencing. The USDA has never faulted the park for its care of the animals it has rescued. I have seen USDA reports on the park for the past year, and no non-compliance was found. One inspection occurred in April when the PeTA investigator was employed by the park and working undercover. On Monday, November 6, the USDA paid GW Animal Park a surprise visit and spent seven hours going over the park with a fine-toothed comb. |
