He said the facility now is staffed by at least four or five people every day, including a full-time zoo keeper, a gift shop manager, and volunteers. Nease admitted Briarwood Safari was short-staffed through 2013 due to his own illness and the death of his zoo keeper. ![]() "If they find something wrong, they write it up, set a compliance date, and we make the correction. That said, we had about 45 minutes to do this whole zoo before heading home to Memphis, and we only drove through the safari portion of the park. This is a family-owned West TN drive-thru petting zoo, with a little spot to get out and pet animals, feed them, and go home. "We've never been fined and have always done what they ask," Nease said. Please know that this is no San Diego Zoo. Ron Nease, the 67-year-old owner of the drive-thru zoo, said he has no indication his facility was under any special scrutiny until the ALDF made its grievances public in a recent news release. ![]() She said the investigation could lead to an official letter of warning or a fine, or the case also could be sent to a federal judge who would rule on a penalty fine and license suspension or revocation.īriarwood Safari has been in business for almost nine years. Tanya Espinosa, public affairs specialist with USDA-APHIS, confirmed Briarwood Safari is under investigation, but would not comment on the specifics. "This facility is on the USDA's radar screen, and they're not doing anything about it." "The sheer volume of inspections since 2012 should be red flag," Blome said. Jessica Blome, an attorney with ALDF, said the fact that USDA-APHIS inspectors visit Briarwood Safari several times a year indicates the facility is a known violator. The reports state that in July 2014, there was only one full-time employee at Briarwood Safari to care for more than 100 animals. Inspection records show that in recent years USDA inspectors have found the facility to be in violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act on a number of fronts, including: failing to provide adequate or clean shelter failing to provide veterinary care for a blind llama lack of consistent access to potable water and not having enough employees to adequately care for all the animals in the park. The facility features four miles of roads and is one of only about a dozen drive-thru safaris in the United States. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) ? the agency that inspects wildlife parks and petting zoos ? has failed to enforce repeated citations of animal cruelty at the 100-plus-acre facility located about 15 miles southeast of Morristown.īriarwood Safari is home to more than 70 species of animals, many of them exotics. ![]() In addition, the organization wants the facility to be fined and lose its license. The ALDF is pressing for the removal of Briarwood Safari's animals to a reputable shelter to receive veterinary care. The California-based Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) says Briarwood Ranch Safari Park should face stiff penalties as a result of the facility's poor performance on inspections over the past two years. (Source: WHDH/WESTON POLICE/CNN) WESTON, Mass. An animal rights organization is calling on federal officials to take action against a drive-thru zoo located near Morristown, Tenn. A piece of metal flew through a car windshield in Massachusetts, seriously hurting the driver. Outdoor Activities, Classes & Workshops, Sports Camps & Clinics.
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