The zoo once owned by Joe Exotic has closed its doors forever. Animal activist group PETA is celebrating the closure. The Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma garnered international attention from the Netflix series Tiger King.
A tiger and cub from the zoo.
In a statement the organisation said: ‘PETA has just learned that yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) suspended the federal Animal Welfare Act exhibitor’s license of Jeff Lowe of Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park (aka “G.W. Zoo”) and Netflix’s Tiger King. Effective immediately,
‘Lowe cannot exhibit big cats, bears, primates, or other USDA-regulated species at the G.W. Zoo or any other property, including at his reportedly forthcoming new roadside zoo in Thackerville, Oklahoma.
‘This rare step of a license suspension follows another unprecedented move by the USDA: In June, it halted its inspection of the facility and ordered Lowe to seek immediate veterinary care for a juvenile lion named Nala (see page 19), who was lying in mud, lethargic, depressed, and thin.’
PETA Foundation Deputy General Counsel for Captive Animal Law Enforcement Brittany Peet said: ‘Jeff Lowe’s license has been suspended, a permanent revocation should be next, and his tiger-terrorizing days may soon be over. PETA looks forward to seeing every one of the long-suffering animals at the G.W. Zoo be transferred to an appropriate facility where it won’t take federal intervention for a sick cat to receive veterinary care.’
Joe Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Allen Schreibvogel, is in prison for numerous animal abuse charges and for hiring a hitman to kill animal rights activist Carole Baskin.
The zoo has since been run by Jeff Lowe who announced the zoo’s closure in a Facebook post.
‘The Tiger King phenomenon has definitely changed our lives in many ways. It has brought us more attention than any human deserves, good and bad. It has, and probably will continue to make us a target of every nutjob and animal rights loon in the world, but we are prepared.
‘It has also provided us with an unfathomable source of income. Income that will guarantee the long term care of our animals and allow us to be very selective going forward.
‘As of today, we have decided to close the old zoo effective immediately. [Due to] the permanent closure of the Wynnewood Zoo, I’m forfeiting my USDA exhibitors license. The very agency that has given my facility five consecutive perfect inspections, has now folded to the pressures of PETA and continue to make false accusations against me. Suspiciously, less than 24 hours after I contacted the USDA to voluntarily forfeit my license, they notify me that they are suspending my license for 21 days for a litany of falsehoods.’
The statement continued: ‘Rest assured that all the animals will continue to have excellent care, and consequently will no longer be subject to USDA inspections or PETA spies.’
Image credit: Facebook/ Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park
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