Feds Cite Waccatee Zoo for Failing to Protect Tiger With Deep, Gaping Wound

PETA Complaint Prompts Authorities to Intervene in Behalf of Injured Tiger

For Immediate Release:
June 16, 2016

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Following a PETA complaint alerting the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to a photo showing a tiger at the Waccatee Zoo with a deep, open wound, the USDA investigated the facility that same day, confirmed PETA’s allegations, cited the zoo for allowing the tiger to remain injured, and ensured that she received appropriate veterinary treatment.

According to the May 24 inspection report, which just became publicly available, the tiger was apparently injured on May 21 by a male tiger who was trying to mate with her. The USDA ensured that she was separated from the incompatible male and protected from future injuries. The agency also cited the Waccatee Zoo for failure to clean numerous enclosures, including one with thick black grime and others with green algae.

“Authorities acted quickly on PETA’s tip that the Waccatee Zoo had allowed this tiger to sustain a deep, bloody, gaping wound,” says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Brittany Peet. “Animal suffering and neglect are apparently the norm at the Waccatee Zoo, which is exactly why PETA urges families to stay away.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—has reported numerous instances of apparent animal neglect at the Waccatee Zoo to the USDA, including animals with long-standing injuries, monkeys and bears with hair loss, monkeys who show signs of severe psychological distress, obese animals, and the sudden death of a solitary chimpanzee named Chico.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.