Zoo once owned by Joe Exotic accused of mistreating animals, Oklahoma sheriff says
A zoo previously owned by Joe Exotic is under investigation after new complaints of animal mistreatment, a sheriff says.
The Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma is accused of failing to properly care for lions at the zoo after photos and videos show cubs with “flystrike,” when flies lay eggs and maggots eat away skin, according to PETA. The animal rights organization says a whistleblower provided video and photos of the condition.
The Garvin County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday it asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture and state wildlife authorities to investigate after receiving “numerous” calls about the welfare of the animals. The USDA visited the park and removed a lion cub and put “a big cat in isolation for medical reasons,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
The zoo did not immediately respond Thursday evening to a request for comment by McClatchy News.
The zoo is owned by Jeff Lowe, a former business partner of Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage — more commonly known as Joe Exotic. Maldonado-Passage’s ownership of the animal park and legal troubles were documented in the Netflix series “Tiger King.”
Exotic’s longtime adversary Carole Baskin, who operates Big Cat Rescue in Florida, was awarded the zoo this month by a judge. The ruling gave Jeff Lowe’s company 120 days to move animals off the property.
Maldonado-Passage is serving a 22-year prison sentence on wildlife violations and a conviction in a murder-for-hire plot to kill Baskin.
Lowe is building a new zoo in Thackerville, Oklahoma, near the popular WinStar World Casino and Resort with plans to open in September. In the meantime, he’s continued operating the G.W. Zoo in Wynnewood.
PETA accuses the park of poor sanitation leading to animals suffering from flystrike, which has put one cub at risk of losing its ears.
“We appreciate all the pics and the videos that have been sent to our office,” Garvin County Sheriff Jim Mullett said on Facebook. “If, based off the investigations, charges need to be filed, this office, along with the USDA, will submit charges. I know that our office, Game and Wildlife and the USDA are working hard to take care of these complaints.”
This story was originally published June 25, 2020 at 7:39 PM with the headline "Zoo once owned by Joe Exotic accused of mistreating animals, Oklahoma sheriff says."