Wallabies Died of Fright at Capital of Texas Zoo

Feds Cite Roadside Zoo for Failing to Protect Animals

For Immediate Release:
November 14, 2016

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has cited the Capital of Texas Zoo for failing to protect animals after stray dogs ran along the perimeter fence outside the wallaby exhibit and scared three wallabies to death. Wallabies are known to panic when frightened by perceived predators, and these three died of heat exhaustion after running excessively, apparently in a futile attempt to escape the dogs.

According to the September 28 report, which just became publicly available, the USDA advised the Capital of Texas Zoo to erect barriers in order to prevent the one surviving wallaby—who is still confined to the same enclosure—from being terrorized in the future.

“The Capital of Texas Zoo has put animals at risk, and the deaths of these three wallabies should prompt immediate action,” says PETA Foundation Deputy Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Brittany Peet. “PETA is calling on the roadside zoo to release the surviving wallaby to a reputable sanctuary, which could ensure his or her safety and security.”

The roadside zoo was also cited for failing to shield dingoes from public contact and for failing to offer a shelter of sufficient height for a camel to retreat to comfortably during inclement weather.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—notes that the Capital of Texas Zoo has a long history of failing to meet even the most basic animal-welfare regulations. Earlier this year, it was cited for failing to obtain veterinary care for an animal with a chronic eye condition, failing to provide porcupines with water, failing to provide a hippo with a sanitary pool for immersion, and forcing bears to lie in foul-smelling and wet bedding. Last fall, PETA submitted a complaint to the USDA about parrots with completely bare chests who had apparently pulled their own feathers out in frustration and temperature-sensitive guinea pigs who were kept outdoors in hot weather.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.