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LAMBERTVILLE (WWJ) – A roadside zoo in Southeast Michigan has been slapped with a hefty fine after PETA alerted the U.S. Department of Agriculture to several animals in need of urgent veterinary care.
The USDA issued a $13,500 fine to Indian Creek Zoo in Lambertville, near the Michigan-Ohio border for multiple alleged violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA).
Officials say violations include poor veterinary care leading to illnesses and failing to maintain animal enclosures, which allowed a baboon to bite an employee and a porcupine to escape.
The violations date back to November 2020, according to the USDA's citation and notice of penalty. The document alleges the enclosure door for an olive baboon "had gaps that were approximately three inches wide and were large enough for the baboon to reach his arm through."
On Nov. 11, 2020 an olive baboon allegedly reached his hands through the gaps, grasped the employee's hand while the handler was locking the transfer door, and bit its keeper.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service officials also discovered a female tayra with hairless, reddened, and thickened skin on its neck. The facility had not contacted the Attending Veterinarian about the issue, according to APHIS. A tayra is an omnivorous animal in the weasel family.
A female rabbit was found with similar hair loss and irritated skin.
Other poorly treated animals included a white-tailed deer that was "thin with fecal matter staining the hocks and back legs. The brownish liquid could be seen rolling down the front aspect of the right rear leg, below the hock."
Two other white-tailed deer were also discovered to be very thin, while another had overgrown hooves and a white goat was observed holding its right front leg up and the joint appeared to be swollen.
When inspectors showed up in August 2021 they learned that an African crested porcupine had escaped the week prior and was never found.
PETA officials said in a press release Indian Creek Zoo has received 18 citations for AWA violations dating back to 2014.
"Cutting corners, exhibiting ailing animals, and endangering everyone with shoddy enclosures is unacceptable, and PETA will continue to track this hellhole and loop in the feds at every turn," the press release.
