Waccatee Zoo in Myrtle Beach to stay closed after years of allegations of animal abuse including denying food and water
- A zoo that PETA says it received the most complaints about out of all US attractions has shuttered for good
- The Waccatee Zoo in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, will not be reopening following a federal lawsuit between its owners and PETA
- The owners were accused of various types of animal abuse, including starving their animals, and keeping them in too tight spaces
A Myrtle Beach area roadside zoo has shuttered permanently after settling a federal lawsuit with PETA.
The nearly 35-year-old Waccatee Zoo was dubbed ‘one of the worst roadside zoos in America’ by the national animal rights group.
Last spring, PETA sued the zoo, accusing its operators of abusing its animals in a number of ways, including not providing enough food and water to animals and forcing some to live in solitary confinement.
The zoo, which was once home to 460 animals, closed last year amid the lawsuit.
As part of the settlement, zoo owners Kim and Jeff Futrell agreed to never reopen the attraction. They also agreed to never own or exhibit wild animals, breed domestic animals, or work or volunteer at unaccredited zoos.
A bear at the Waccatee Zoo in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where accusations of animal abuse were rampant even before PETA took the owners to court
The case against the roadside zoo has now been settled. PETA is calling the arrangement a victory for animal rights
The zoo, which was once home to 460 animals, closed last year amid the lawsuit
At the conclusion of the suit, PETA released a statement: ‘This victory blocks Waccatee’s operators from ever again mistreating wild animals as they did for decades.’
‘PETA is delighted to see the survivors thriving in their new sanctuary home and will continue to ask everyone to help us advocate for all animals still trapped in roadside zoos by never patronizing such operations.’
The zoo owners were accused of failing to provide proper veterinary care to one of its tigers, which led to her malnutrition and ultimately, her death.
The Futrells have denied all allegations of animal abuse,
Parrots at the zoo were allegedly confined to ‘cramped, unsanitary cages,’ where they could barely stretch their wings, let alone take off in flight.
Two lions were forced into small cages, necessarily preventing them from engaging in activities like running and playing that are constitutive of their species, according to PETA.
Furthermore, PETA has claimed the Waccatee Zoo generated more than 150 complaints to their organization – the most of any zoo or attraction in the US.
In both 2020 and 2021, the zoo was fined several thousand dollars for violations discovered during the annual US Department of Agriculture inspection.
Pictures out of the zoo over the years, routinely showed animals who appeared to be suffering. Some had serious injuries, while others looked to be losing hair or malnourished to the point that their skeletons were visible beneath fur.
The site of the zoo is a mere 10-minute drive from Doc Antle’s Myrtle Beach Safari, which is operated by the Tiger King star, who became famous for his questionable handling of the wildlife on the property and featured in a Netflix documentary.
In June, Antle was convicted on several counts of wildlife trafficking and conspiracy to traffic wildlife. Though the Myrtle Beach Safari appears to still be operational.
Pictures out of the zoo over the years, routinely showed animals who appeared to be suffering
Some had serious injuries, while others looked to be losing hair or malnourished to the point that their skeletons were visible beneath fur and feathers
The animals were allegedly kept in cages that were much too small for them – some were kept in solitary confinement
The owners – Jeff and Kim Futrell – agreed to never reopening the zoo, or running a zoo again
The zoo owners could not be reached when contacted by DailyMail.com after reports of its permanent closure. Their attorney emphasized that his clients’ choice to settle is not an admission of guilt.
‘There’s been no court ruling that my clients were abusing animals,’ said Reese Boyd, the couple’s attorney.
He also contested the accuracy of some parts of PETA’s news release.
‘If they want to call the bears captive, that’s fine. The bears were in a zoo. If that to you means the bears were captive, then fine. Could the bears freely roam down 707 and maul a toddler at 7-Eleven? No, they were behind bars,’ he said.
Boyd filed a letter with the court last year explaining that the zoo’s US Department of Agriculture license lapsed in September and his clients had chosen not to renew it.
‘Because of the ongoing expense of this litigation and other considerations, my client has determined that its only feasible option is to close the Zoo and discontinue further operations,’ read the letter.
Boyd claimed the zoo was approaching the end of its commercially viable lifespan even before the lawsuit, though the financial burden of litigation became difficult for clients, and a factor in their decision to shut the operation down.
‘Many generations of school children grew up going to Waccatee Zoo. It’s sad that the zoo’s not going to be around,’ Boyd said, according to the Post and Courier.
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