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Tiger Safari in Tuttle Oklahoma

Discussion in 'United States' started by Sara Marsano, 23 May 2022.

  1. Sara Marsano

    Sara Marsano New Member

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    Nevada
    If you love animals do not work here.

    First I would like to tell you about me as I am sure you get complaints from many people who don't know anything about animals. I was a zookeeper for over 4 years, a veterinary assistant for exotic animals, founded and operated an exotic pet rescue and worked in a medical animal testing laboratory. I am very familiar with animal behavior, proper husbandry and handling of animals.

    I took a job at the tiger safari zoo and upon my first day I was in horror. Most of the areas the public can see are not too bad, though certain species need more shade areas and none of the animals had any enrichment. The owl is kept in a small parrot cage all the time and his food is thawed uncovered in a room infested with cockroaches for hours.
    The animal "ambassador" room at the back of the main entrance building (behind the sloth) is appalling. Half of the animals looked emaciated and lethargic. They are all in tiny cages (far too small for thier species and size) with water dishes that don't get washed properly and newspaper.
    The lizards all had stuck shed (usually only happens due to improper husbandry and can lead to circulation problems and eventually missing toes or limbs).
    They had animals living in pet carriers 24/7.
    The chinchillas are cold weather animals and are left in tanks and a cat carrier in the hot room. Neither them or the rabbits are given any hay which is a majority of their diet.
    The uromastix was lethargic and looked like he was suffering from metabolic bone disease with the way his arms bent.
    The ruffed lemur was alone in a tiny and dirty cage with no enrichment. They are highly social animals.
    Savanna monitors are feisty and curious reptiles. The one there was living in a pet carrier and was lethargic. His entire body was covered in dry stuck on shed, and he never once lifted his head even when touching the carrier.
    Everything is sprayed down with windex instead of an animal safe chemical that actually sanitizes spaces. The room is covered in cockroaches. They infest the cages and can be found in the animals water dishes and food dishes.
    They stress the animals out over and over through the day to take them out and hand them to people. They squeeze the fennec fox, and another animal (I'm not sure I it was a wallaby or baby kangaroo as I did not get too good of a look at this point) was squeezed in his pouch everything he made a fuss to move. The animals are too stressed to have this done everyday, multiple times a day.

    Besides the animals, the rooms (treehouses and huts) the people pay to stay in are not properly cleaned. The sheets are changed but the blankets are never washed. Only a few things are whipped down with windex. This is a huge health hazard to the public. There are so many diseases and sicknesses that can be spread from unsanitary spaces like this.

    I spoke with the owner and said I hoped we can update the animals husbandry in the back. He asked what was wrong with thier husbandry. I began to tell him and he said I wasn't happy there and so I should leave.

    Talking with one of the employees who's been there a couple months (this facility has a high and fast turnover rate by wmployees for the treatment of the animals, and treatment of the staff), I was told the other animals sometimes don't get fed, the zoo still has one employee who was caught hitting one of the foxes, and the owner, Bill, has taken multiple baby animals home and they keep dying. I was also told that husbandry was brought up to the owner multiple times and he doesn't care. All of his employees are giving tours and holding animals for people to pet most of the day, so who is feeding animals, cleaning enclosures and giving enrichment?

    I adore zoos but this facility needs to be shut down or run by someone who knows how to care for animals and actually cares about thier health. The owner has had multiple reports of neglect towards animals, so I don't understand how this place is still operational.
     
  2. TinoPup

    TinoPup Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    I'm not surprised at all, unfortunately :(
     
  3. snowleopard

    snowleopard Well-Known Member 15+ year member Premium Member

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    Abbotsford, B.C., Canada
    Thanks for your post. I visited Tiger Safari in 2015 and I was appalled at what I saw. I toured the zoo with a friend who had been a zookeeper at 4 different institutions and even he was shocked at the living conditions for some of the animals. The fencing on the big cat exhibits left a lot to be desired.
     
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  4. wally war eagle

    wally war eagle Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Location:
    Lilburn, Georgia, USA
    report them to usda aphis for violation of the federal animal welfare act and also to PETA which is actively trying to eliminate nasty roadside zoos.
     
  5. TinoPup

    TinoPup Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Peta is trying to eliminate ALL zoos and animal ownership.
     
  6. SusScrofa

    SusScrofa Well-Known Member

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    Location:
    Florida
    Getting those PETA lunatics involved is a surefire way to ensure nobody takes the cause seriously.
     
    Birdsage, AndyJ08, MidwestFan and 2 others like this.