Lions and tigers and meth, oh my!
Greater than 300 unique animals have been rescued from a decrepit Oregon zoo after a police raid turned up caches of medicine, weapons and greater than 1,000,000 {dollars} in money.
The animals — starting from massive cats to chimpanzees and camels — have been rescued from West Coast Sport Park Safari in Coos County when Oregon State Police and federal brokers descended with search warrants following months of abuse allegations.
Latest inspection experiences for the 21-acre park described circumstances starting from malnourishment and contaminated meals to improper animal housing — however what officers discovered throughout their Could 15 raid was far worse, KATU 2 reported.
A lifeless tiger was discovered stuffed in a freezer, proud lions have been undernourished and gaunt, whereas meals provides have been discovered riddled with vermin and feces — and a chimpanzee was caged alone in a scenario a PETA likened to “conserving a human in solitary confinement.”
The raid additionally revealed indicators of a daunting prison operation throughout the zoo.
At the very least 44 weapons — together with a machine gun — have been discovered, together with 80 grams of methamphetamine and eight grams of cocaine.
Investigators additionally discovered about $1.6 million value of money, bonds and cashier checks, in response to the Coos County Sheriff’s workplace.
“You’re sitting right here with a stockpile of money as an alternative of feeding your animals,” area people member Nichole Johnson informed KATU 2 after particulars of the raid got here out.
West Coast Sport Park’s proprietor — 52-year-old Brian Tenney — was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of possession, manufacturing and tried distribution of methamphetamine, the Oregonian reported.
All the animals — together with 15 massive cats starting from lions and tigers to leopards, jaguars, bobcats and extra — have since been rehomed.
However a camel, a tropical kinkajou and a rooster needed to be euthanized.
The raid was the fruits of a months-long investigation, however latest complaints are simply the newest towards the park because it opened within the Nineteen Sixties.
In 2015, US Division of Agriculture inspectors cited the park over “a attainable sample of personnel not performing satisfactory day by day evaluation of animal well being,” data reviewed by the Oregonian present.
West Coast Sport Park has been shut down because the raid.
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