Humane Events

Join Our Mailing List

Powered by Robly

Infamous “Tiger King” Zoo is Shut Down Amidst Animal Welfare Violations - National Humane Education Society

Paws Up! To the USDA for finally shutting down Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma.

August 19, 2020

While “Tiger King” Joe Exotic, who was made famous after a blockbuster Netflix documentary series that aired this spring, currently serves his twenty-two years in prison for animal abuse and hiring someone to murder the owner of Big Cat Rescue in Florida, the USDA has shut down his roadside zoo.

After making an announcement on Facebook, current zoo owner Jeffrey Lowe told followers that due to multiple animal welfare violations discovered by the USDA, he has forfeited his exhibitors’ license and closed down the zoo. Lowe plans to use the property privately for future film endeavors, according to Forbes. It is unclear what will become of the animals currently living at the zoo.

For several years, lawmakers have been trying, albeit unsuccessfully, to pass legislation that would limit the unnecessary exposure of wild animals to the public for financial profit, which is a major form of income for roadside attractions such as the G.W. Exotic Animal Park. These parks will offer the public opportunities to “play with” or pet tiger or lion cubs for a fee (sometimes hundreds of dollars). Once the cubs are grown, they are no longer profitable to the facilities, so they often sell them to other zoos, sell them on the black market, or just euthanize them. Read more about the exotic pet trade.

U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL) introduced H.R. 1380, or The Big Cat Public Safety Act, which would impose more restrictions on the trade of big cats such as tigers, lions, cheetahs, and cougars, as well as restricting direct contact between the public and these wild animals. 

Take Action: Please contact your representatives and ask them to cosponsor H.R. 1380, The Big Cat Public Safety Act, to ensure that abusers like the owners of The Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park and other roadside zoo establishments can no longer profit off of the mistreatment of exotic animals!

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

10 responses to “Infamous “Tiger King” Zoo is Shut Down Amidst Animal Welfare Violations”

  1. Diana Lewis says:

    Please sponsor the big cat public safety act! Zoos are no place either for these animals! They break their spirit and compromise their health!

  2. Maureen Rifkind says:

    Yes, Senators please pass the Big Cat public Safety Act do that these animals can safely be placed in sanctuaries to live out their lives in peace! No animal should be caged up for profit to humans!

  3. Krista Joyner says:

    Please pass the bill. We owe it to these beautiful creatures. We should not profit fro their suffering any more!

  4. Roberta Luster says:

    These big cats are on the brink of extinction especially tigers. Please do everything possible to save them and make their lives healthy and happy. I agree they do not belong in roadside zoos or regular zoos. They are wild animals intended to roam free. There are reputable sanctuaries to house these beautiful animals.

  5. cleo lee says:

    About time USDA APHIS AC did their job. Their have been a zillion places that need closing down and they finally closed one. Now get on with the next place.

  6. Janis Rehm says:

    H.R. 1380 is something I feel strongly about. I emailed a letter to my local U.S. Representative Conor Lamb using quotes from your article. If everyone would send messages to their U.S. legislators on this matter, H.R. 1380 would be passed. Believe me, congressmen and senators listen to their constituents when we take the time to contact them.

  7. Wendy Woods says:

    Please pass H.R.1380
    We need to stop people from Molesting young cubs and then just throwing them away when they grow up. This has been going on far too long already. Big cats held in captivity by roadside zoos need to be removed and retired to adequate sanctuaries where they can roam free. Please help end this cycle of abuse

  8. M.Gail Laub says:

    Thank heavens this horrid place has finally been shut down. It’s taken years! Animals have a right to live their lives free from abuse and exploitation.

  9. Kim Wilson-Daum says:

    Please pass the H.R. 1380 Big Cat Public Safety Act. With all of the technological advances our human race has made, there is no reason to keep animals for viewing, medical experiments, or entertainment. They should be left to live out their lives in nature as God intended.

Leave a Reply to Diana Lewis Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *