This ad was posted on Craigslist:
HI i have a Baby female
red fox kit that i need to rehome. CAPTIVE BRED Comes with papers from local
zoo! (CLAY CENTER) Born in May...
We are interested in
reptile and aquarium trades. AQUARIUM MUST BE BIGGER THAN 100 GALLONS. Macaw
parrots as well. CALL OR TEXT ME AT 917-XXX-XXXX.
And this ad was posted:
We have an 8 week old baby golden island arctic fox for rehome. She is
tame and very nice with children and other dogs. Call or text 917 (same #) for
rehome fee. You will get her cage with her! SHE IS VERY RARE !!! I
WILL TRADE FOR GUNS & FOR A MACAW
This created lots of chatter, not only because you can’t sell “pets” on the site, but because she claimed that this was perfectly fine because the kits had been purchased from a zoo and said she had the paperwork to prove it. Here's another ad, run a few weeks later:
I HAVE A 7 WEEK OLD RARE
BABY ARCTIC MARBLE FOX TO BE REHOMED OR TRADED! SHE IS VERY TAME, LOVES TO
CUDDLE AND PLAYS WITH KIDS DAILY. SHE EATS MOSTLY SALMON/TUNA CAT FOOD AND
LOVES IT WITH A DOGGY TREAT. HER COLORS ARE JUST AS RARE FOR THIS TYPE OF FOX!
THERE IS A REHOME FEE WHICH IS LESS THAN WHAT I HAVE INTO HER. YOU WILL BE
GETTING A LARGE DOG CARRIER AS WELL.
I had never heard of the Clay Center Zoo so I looked it up.
I was appalled to see a zoo that was built in the 1950's and seems to be stuck there, with its operators still believing it's just fine to keep wild animals on a concrete slab not much bigger than a dog run.
Cissy the Black Bear |
The Clay Center Dispatch posted an article dated May
1, 2012, discussing a USDA meeting with the Public Utility Commission(PUC), who runs
the zoo. As Dave Barry says, I am not making this up - the Utility company runs the zoo. The USDA requires barrier fencing, to prevent people from being able
to walk right up to a caged wild animal.
Imagine that.
Imagine that.
In response to that crazy demand, the PUC Chairman said “We just want some common sense.” Because they had built fences before, and now they were being asked to build better fences.
COMMON SENSE? Where was common sense when they installed
this fence?
Or did he mean he thinks children should just have the good
sense not to stick their fingers in cages? Possible, since the zoo's facebook page posted a warning to "use common sense and caution when visiting zoos."
The only other USDA requirement mentioned in the Dispatch article was that a person
be on duty during zoo operating hours. The Public Utility Superintendent said
the PUC “would just have to study how a person could be put on site during
hours the zoo is open.”
Study? Hmmm. Seems to me you find a person and put them on
site. After all, the USDA was not so demanding as to expect them to put someone on
site that knows anything about animal care. Or keeping kids and wild animals
separated. They just have to be present.
After learning all that, I still didn't know if zoos can sell animals to individuals. I found this site.
It not only discusses repeatedly the purchase of New Guinea Singing Dogs from the same zoo, but gives a chronological history
of the zoo’s dealings with these (wild) dogs, including how they bred them yearly,
sometimes with their own kind and sometimes with domestic dogs, and then sold
or gave the pups away.
The Clay Center Zoo's facebook page proudly states that they used to have NGSDs.
The Clay Center Zoo's facebook page proudly states that they used to have NGSDs.
A June 24, 2012 article in the Clay Center Dispatch says that the zoo has a new caretaker. It also states
"Other changes coming to the zoo include a few expansions planned for the bear pen, the black panther exhibit and more space for the monkeys." The article also mentions that the zoo has fewer foxes, "which were sold to other zoos..."
Nice try. And there is no evidence to date that those changes were completed.
I still don't know if the person trying to trade fox kits for guns or macaws on Craigslist actually got the kits from the Clay Center Zoo or not.
From everything else I've seen and learned, it would not surprise me.
Wow.. Just wow.. I can't believe this zoo is operational, let alone open! Someone needs to step in and either do a complete and total overhaul of this zoo or send these poor animals to other zoos better equipped to care for them with employees that are actually trained on how to handle these beautiful wild creatures, not just show up.. These people are just idiots!
ReplyDeleteThey seem to be complete idiots, but trying to explain it to them would be like explaining rape to Todd Akin. Did I just say that? I'm off to join your group for the politically incorrect...or correct, as the case may be.
ReplyDeletethanks- way to spotlight the issues...
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming by Blake.
ReplyDeleteReally sad. Thanks for letting people know about this.
ReplyDeleteIt is really sad. Thanks for taking time to read and comment.
DeleteThis is really unbelievable. It 's amazing that people can be so irresponsible. Thank you very much for bringing this issue to the public!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bonnie. It is unbelievable and should be illegal.
ReplyDeleteHey deb. I am a biologist from ks and just left the clay center managerie. I was horrified by the conditions. I am going to try towork up a case with the humane society against this abomination with the aim of shutting it down completely. Would you be interested in providing any additional info we could utilize? If you have any other photos or info it would be appreciated. My email of mattlb86@gmail. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi Matthew,
DeleteI'll help in any way I can. I'll email. And thanks.