Caught: Alexandria Zoological Park Cited Following Animal Deaths

Feds Take Action Following PETA Complaint Over Tamarin Deaths From Freezing

For Immediate Release:
February 19, 2015

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

PETA has just learned that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) investigated the deaths of the two endangered cotton-top tamarins who froze to death at the Alexandria Zoological Park—after an employee left them in an outdoor enclosure overnight—and slapped the facility with a citation for allowing the tiny monkeys to languish in the cold. The facility was also cited for isolating two sensitive, social tamarins from others of their kind. Both are violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act. The USDA’s investigation followed a formal complaint filed by PETA over the animals’ deaths.

“Putting animals on display and denying them everything that is natural and important to them is always cruel—and too often, it can be fatal,” says PETA Foundation Deputy General Counsel Delcianna Winders. “PETA asks families to steer clear of all zoos for the sake of animals like these tamarins, who deserved better than a lonely, terrifying death in the cold.”

As documented by PETA, whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment,” the dangerous—and often fatal—consequences of human error and negligence become all too common when animals are displayed for human amusement. With no freedom to choose food, mates, or territory, animals in captivity are housed in cages that don’t begin to compare to the jungles and forests that are their natural homes. Every aspect of their lives is controlled and manipulated, which can lead to physical and mental deterioration.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.