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Animal Protection Group Files USDA Complaint Regarding Multiple Violations at Cincinnati Zoo

June 3, 2016 by Leave a Comment


The News

On May 31st, Stop Animal Exploitation Now (SAEN), an international animal protection group, filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) alleging that the Cincinnati Zoo is responsible for the incident in which zoo personnel shot and killed the gorilla Harambe after a child fell into his enclosure. In the complaint, SAEN alleges that the zoo violated section 3.77 of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), which states that a primate enclosure must be surrounded by a physical barrier that prevents unauthorized humans from interacting with the animals.

Cincinnati Zoo gorilla enclosure

Cincinnati Zoo gorilla enclosure

At a press conference held outside the Cincinnati Zoo on May 31st to announce the complaint, Michael Budkie, SAEN’s executive director, stated, “Since a four year old child managed to enter the enclosure within a matter of minutes, these conditions were obviously not met.”

Michael Budkie announces USDA complaint at a press conference held outside the Cincinnati Zoo.

Michael Budkie announces USDA complaint at a press conference held outside the Cincinnati Zoo.

On June 2nd, the zoo announced that it is modifying the public barrier prior to reopening “Gorilla World” on June 7th. In response, Budkie stated, “The announcement essentially confirms the faulty nature of the previous barrier.It is entirely possible that if this barrier had been in place by Saturday, May 28th, Harambe might be alive today.”

At the press conference, Budkie also disclosed that the zoo violated the AWA on several other occasions. A 2014 USDA inspection found deteriorating wooden boards in colobus monkey and Przewalski’s horse enclosures, violating sections 3.80 and 3.125. In addition, two polar bears escaped from their enclosure on March 16, 2016, into the zookeeper area due to negligence — a repeat violation of section 3.125. The USDA inspection report states: “. . .had the bears gained outside access, the public would have been at great risk for injury, harm or death.” SAEN believes that, because of this track record, the USDA will likely impose the maximum penalty of $10,000 per infraction/animal on the zoo.

USDA inspection report regarding the escape of two polar bears at the Cincinnati Zoo.

USDA inspection report regarding the escape of two polar bears at the Cincinnati Zoo.

For Budkie, however, this incident is about much more than AWA violations and the killing of Harambe. Rather, it calls into question whether or not zoos should exist at all. “At the end of the day, zoos are money-making businesses masquerading as conservation groups. True conservation focuses on the preservation of natural habitats, not holding wild animals captive in small enclosures where many go insane from lack of stimulation, stress and the frustration of confinement.”

Harembe memorial

Children pay their respects to Harambe outside of the Cincinnati Zoo

On May 28th, a four year old child fell into Harambe’s enclosure after crawling through a fence leading to it. While the gorilla did not attack the boy, the zoo decided to shoot him as a safety precaution.

Your Turn

For more information, please visit Stop Animal Exploitation Now.



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TheirTurn.net Comments

  1. Natasha Brenner says:

    “Man’s inhumanity to man” has always been a common expression. But it is wrong! It is “Man’s inhumanity to ALL living things!” When will we learn and change?

  2. Jackson says:

    It is not right to kill in the first place.
    This issue was all over everywhere.
    Who’s to blame.
    I’m a Mother of 3 children and they have been my responsubility being still children.

    I’m against these zoos anyway.
    The animals should be left alone where they belong to…in their natural surroundings then we wouldn’t have issues like this in the first place.

    As a mother….I would have went right behind my child…anyway …I never got even close to a situation like this……

  3. Rachael Bygrave says:

    Shut zoos down…all of them and any kind, including animal circus and seaworld!!! How can any human get pleasure through supporting an animal to be held captive?????

  4. Debi says:

    Any animal that is caged, testing on, or displayed for human entertainment is not right. When is the rights of an animal ever going to be considered. When will the rights of the animal be considered before the greed of man. Does it always have to be about the almighty dollar. Doesn’t anyone have a conscious anymore. How can anyone think caging, selling, testing any animal is right or fair to the animal. But then again it’s not really about the animal, is it?

  5. Marilyn Weaver says:

    Zelda,

    Thank you for such a complete coverage of the facts of this case. Undeniably, animals kept in zoo’s for “conservation” is an oxymoron as these animals are never, as far as I am aware of, released in the wild, especially if they were not born in the wild. As beautiful an enclosure may look, it is still a large pen for a free roaming animal. Of course, it it 100% better than the concrete enclosures at the Bronx Zoo that I saw for wild animals when I was a child.

  6. Zelda Penzel says:

    Capturing and/or breeding wild animals in captivity for purposes of “display” is reprehensible and unconscionable; the animals, in most cases,are not being bred to be re-introduced in the wild, but rather to be sold off to other zoos, circuses etc. and in some cases, canned shooting facilities. This kind of blatant greed and ignorance is why tragedies such as this occur.
    *[‘This is a very big loss to the zoo- not just an emotional loss, but a loss to a key conservation and breeding program.’*’There is a future for Harambe’: Cincinnati zoo reveal sperm was removed from gorilla who was shot dead so he could still become a father Harambe, who was 17, had not been mature enough to breed but his sperm was collected after his death for possible future reproductive use…]*

    Zoos and aquariums, like circuses, are an archaic holdover of thinking that has no place in the 21st century!
    Thanks to the research and consciousness-raising that has been done in recent years, knowledgeable and compassionate people no longer accept and today demand an end to the hunting, capture, confinement and slaughter of wildlife for our own self-serving purposes. No more “Cecils”! No more “Harambes”! No more “Marius’!” It is not a matter of who was negligent, who or what was right/wrong. It’s about the animals, and their right to live their own lives. There can be no justification whatsoever for imprisoning and confining wildlife for OUR amusement, pleasure, edification! If it does not benefit the animal, then it should not happen and must not be permitted.

    ZOOS ARE OUT OF STEP WITH THE TIMES AND SURVIVE ONLY BECAUSE OF THE IGNORANCE AND INDIFFERENCE OF A NAIVE PUBLIC. THEY ARE CRUEL, DANGEROUS AND WRONG FOR THE ANIMALS WHO ARE HELD IN CAPTIVITY! They are no different from and are as unacceptable as all other forms of animal exploitation!

    1. Dominique says:

      Well said.

    2. Andrea Barlow says:

      You are 100% spot on.

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