LIONS, TIGERS AND BEARS IN ALPINE WORKS TO SAVE ANIMALS AT SUSPENDED ZOO FEATURED ON TIGER KING TV SHOW
by ECM | August 20, 2020 6:45 am
By Miriam Raftery
August 19, 2020 (Alpine) – Bobbi Brink, owner of the Lions, Tigers and Bears animal sanctuary in Alpine, has offered to aid in the rescue and relocation of all animals at G.W. Zoo. The U.S. Department of Agriuclture has suspended the exhibitor license for the facility also known as the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park featured on the Netflix docu-series “Tiger King.”
The owner, Jeff Lowe, “just announced that he has actually relinquished his license and will no longer be exhibiting animals,” Brink says. Lowe will be banned from exhibiting big cats, bears, primates or other USDA-regulated species at any other property as well as at G.W. Zoo.
The USDA suspended the license after inspectors in June found injured and sickly animals with dangerous and dismal living conditions including:
- A pair of old, arthritic wolves that never received proper bedding or medication they were prescribed by a veterinarian
- A lethargic lion cub suffering from severe fly strike (a condition in which fly larvae eat away at the flesh) and a severe respiratory illness that has been left untreated
- Malnourished, anxious bears, exhibiting neurotic behaviors conducive to captive psychosis
- Tiger corpses rotting in open pits.
Brink says that loss of the license actually “puts the animals in a position of further falling victim to poor animal care practices because they will no longer fall under the jurisdiction of the USDA – and won’t be afforded the protections that this government agency is required to uphold.”
You can read the full report here[1] – and view photos from the inspection here[2].
What’s next for these animals?
“Lions Tigers & Bears is following this case closely and continues to stay in communication with local, county, state and federal officials with a standing offer to aid in the rescue and relocation of all animals at G.W. Zoo,” says Brink. “As an accredited big cat and bear sanctuary that has worked across the U.S. on dozens of rescue cases similar to this one – we are well equipped to take on this task in order to help these animals get the lifetime care and specialized treatment they require at reputable sanctuaries.”
Lions, Tigers and Bears requests donations to help with its animal rescue and relocation efforts. You can learn more and donate at www.lionstigersandbears.org
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Endnotes:- read the full report here: https://www.lionstigersandbears.org/ResourceFiles/pdf/22-june-jeff-lowe-usda-report.pdf
- view photos from the inspection here: https://www.lionstigersandbears.org/ResourceFiles/pdf/june-jeff-lowe-usda-inspection-photos.pdf
Source URL: https://eastcountymagazine.org/lions-tigers-and-bears-alpine-works-save-animals-suspended-zoo-featured-tiger-king-tv-show/