Following the suspension of its exhibitor license by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Greater Wynnwood Exotic Animal Park—the zoo made famous by Netflix quarantine phenomenon Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness—is officially closed "effective immediately."
The announcement was made by the park itself via Facebook post, after a USDA inspection shed light on multiple animal welfare violations, including a malfunctioning refrigerator, the only one on premise meant to store animal food.
"As of today, we have decided to close the old zoo effective immediately," reads the post. "Our new park will, at least for the foreseeable future, be a private film set for Tiger King related television content for cable and streaming services."
The Facebook post also makes public claims about having been the target of animal rights groups, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). "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," reads the announcement, presumably written by current park owner Jeffrey Lowe (Joseph Maldonado-Passage, who went by the name Joe Exotic, was the previous owner and one of the stars of the Netflix production). The post goes on stating that "all the animals will continue to have excellent care, and consequently will no longer be subject to USDA inspections or PETA spies."
Following the license suspension announcement, PETA Foundation Deputy General Counsel for Captive Animal Law Enforcement Brittany Peet released a statement: "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."
Do we smell season two potential? The plot has clearly thickened.
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