Bowmanville Zoo closes down permanently after complaints about animal abuse

CritterFiles has done many stories about Bowmanville Zoo, which bills itself as the oldest zoo in North America, but has been subject recently to animal abuse claims.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, the zoo posted that it’s closing its doors permanently.

On Monday, the zoo offered free admission to visitors, with an option to donate at the gate to fund the relocation of the zoo’s animals.

“As we as a zoo gather at the table of Thanksgiving tomorrow on our final day of operation, the thing we are most thankful for are our loyal supporters and followers who have stood with us through thick and thin,” read a statement posted on the zoo’s Facebook page.

It’s not clear where the zoo’s animals, which include tigers, lions, giraffes and baboons among its 300 critters, will go to new homes.

But the facility also warned last summer that some animals may lose their lives because of the closure if new homes can’t be found. Dozens of staff members will lose their jobs when the facility closes at the end of this year, the zoo says.

The zoo’s director, Michael Hackenberger, had already quit after being charged with animal cruelty.

That came after PETA released a series of video that appeared to show him whipping a tiger during a training session.

 

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Peg Fong is also in recovery from newspapers

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