Seized Reptiles were "on loan" from Zoos

Um I wonder what other types of animals they dump? Boy am I glad that I have a contract with the zoo where I placed my Chimpanzees that says they can't go anywhere.

Story;
Seized Reptiles Were "On Loan" from Zoos

(Milwaukee County, WI) Discovered by police investigating an assault case, scores of allegedly neglected reptiles – many reportedly ill or with injuries, some already dead – were rescued from Terry Cullen’s residence in May 2010. In yet another example of the link between animal abuse and violence against humans, Cullen is facing charges related to alleged animal abuse, sexual assault and false imprisonment.

Cullen had presented himself as a reptile collector for years, and many of the animals in his possession, including endangered species, were reportedly loaned to him by zoos. That only a handful of these zoos are reported to have come forward to take responsibility for the animals they had given to Cullen “on loan” is no surprise to seasoned wildlife rescuers. Quoted in the Journal-Sentinal is the Colorado Reptile Humane Society’s director Ann-Elizabeth Nash:

"Decades-long transfers of the animals don't make any sense. There is either an institutional commitment to the animal or there isn't," she said. "This is a Pandora's box. Not many people know about this, but numbers-wise this kind of thing is going to make puppy mill seizures a joke. There is this behind-the-scenes interaction between AZA institutions and institutions not AZA. What is the level of self-policing the AZA does? What are the vetting protocols to loan to non-AZA? There is a feeling that if the animal doesn't have fur, it's not something we need to worry about."

Take Action!

Locals are encouraged to support the prosecution by attending court proceedings. A hearing date in the criminal case against Terry Cullen is currently scheduled for March 28, 2011. (Always contact the Court to confirm court dates and locations as they are subject to change.) Please notify us at info@aldf.org if you plan on attending.

Contact the zoos in your state and ask them to document their policies on “animal loans” for you. Many zoos benefit from taxpayer dollars, and the public should expect there to be a goal of lifetime responsibility with respect to each animal a zoo accepts into its charge, with a clear and transparent record-keeping system in place to discourage untraceable animal dealing. It is unfortunately a rare zoo that meets this responsibility with any meaningful accuracy – breeding programs resulting in animal “surpluses,” “group populations” such as flocks and colonies often being considered in sum, and a zoo’s dependence on entrance gate profits (and indeed the public’s demand for “newer and cuter”) all contribute to a zoo’s participation in the revolving doors of the exotic animal trade industry. Please contact the zoos in your area and email any feedback you receive to ALDF at info@aldf.org.


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