Bandon wildlife safari cited for several animal health and wellness violations
BANDON, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Bandon's popular West Coast Game Park Safari faces scrutiny for several alleged violations of the Animal Welfare Act.
A December inspection conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service provides details of the safari's conditions.
Several big cats appeared malnourished, with visible ribs and hip bones.
Three of the eight freezers used to store food were also discovered to be empty, one of which was nonfunctional and contained a dead rodent. Safari representatives said shipping delays affected the safari's supply of animal food.
The safari, which also accepts meat from the local community, said that its donations had fallen through leaving the park to ration food. The inspection report notes it's still unclear how long the safari had been rationing food.
The facility only had one full-time employee to feed and care for more than 300 animals at the time of inspection. The safari told inspection officers that other part-time employees would arrive to assist with animal care; however, no additional help arrived. A safari representative also said that the park was having difficulty hiring and maintaining proper staffing levels.
According to inspectors, at least one animal death was linked to improper communication between the safari staff and attending veterinarian. Inspection reports provided by the APHIS detail an incident involving a male fishing cat dying after sustaining an significant fall in its enclosure.
A secondary report, conducted on the same day details many of the park's repeat sanitary violations. Trash, food and live rodents were found in the park. They said enclosures were dark, poorly ventilated and lacked sufficient heating for the winter months. With a lack of staffing, animal enclosures experienced a build up of waste creating a space rich for parasites and disease to spread.
The psychological well-being of the animals was also of concern as many animals showcased symptoms of increased aggression and anxiety, including towards each other. Distressed vocalizations and territorial pacing was a common sight among the animals - symptoms that subsided when the animals were fed frozen rations.
Inspectors told the West Coast Game Park Safari it needs to immediately hire more staff, and reduce the number of animals in its care.
KTVZ News closely following the developments at this safari park and will bring you the latest as we learn more.
