Breaking: Notorious Local Roadside Zoo Under Criminal Investigation After PETA Push

For Immediate Release:
February 12, 2025

Contact:
David Perlee 202-483-7382

PETA has just learned that the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) has initiated a criminal investigation into the Barry R. Kirshner Wildlife Foundation (Kirshner) over the Oroville roadside zoo’s rampant violations of animal welfare laws following a formal PETA campaign.

We now know that CDFW launched its investigation apparently after denying Kirshner’s application to renew its Restricted Species Permit—which allowed Kirshner to keep several species of native and exotic wildlife—in December 2024. PETA’s campaign against the roadside zoo included letters to the agency before that time, documenting woefully inadequate conditions and extreme animal suffering and requests for formal investigations by state and federal officials.

Notably, PETA’s letters demanded consequences for Kirshner regarding the egregious case of a malnourished tiger cub named Cleo, who was confiscated by CDFW in February 2024 after she was found to be suffering from apparent metabolic bone disease—a progressive illness marked by decreased muscle mass, pain, lameness, and pathologic bone fractures—that records indicate was caused by Kirshner’s failure to provide her with adequate nutrition and veterinary care. (Cleo’s littermate died two days after birth).

PETA also alerted CDFW to multiple U.S. Department of Agriculture citations incurred by Kirshner in 2024, including for a mule deer with severely overgrown hooves and big cats and a mule deer who were riddled with open wounds; the federal agency issued Kirshner a total of 17 citations last year alone.

According to a report, CDFW is currently seeking new, permanent homes for the animals used by Kirshner. You’re welcome to use the following statement from PETA Foundation Associate Director of Legal Advocacy Jonathan Morris in response to the unfolding situation: 

Kirshner earned PETA’s “The Worst Roadside Zoo in America” title over the wounded and ailing animals in its cages, so it’s encouraging that state officials are finally holding this decrepit operation accountable. PETA urges state officials to close this shameful chapter by sending the surviving animals to reputable sanctuaries and encourages the public to give seedy roadside zoos a wide berth, which is the fastest way to shut them all down.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.