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A capybara was thin, a yak’s coat was matted and swarming with flies, a chimpanzee was kept in solitary confinement, and several areas were strewn with trash—these are just some of the issues that federal inspectors found at West Coast Game Park Safari, a seedy roadside zoo in Bandon, Oregon.
In an August 2024 inspection, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) cited the facility for 19 damning violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA). Inspectors documented the following:
- The veterinarian contracted by the roadside zoo works only two days a week, doesn’t respond to emergency situations, and doesn’t see or treat the facility’s primates or birds.
- A capybara was thin with visible ribs and hip bones. The facility lied to inspectors and said the veterinarian had been called. But the vet said they hadn’t been consulted about the animal’s condition.
- Two Barbados sheep, a Jacob sheep, and a yak had matted coats, which can cause heat stress and make movement extremely painful.
- Several enclosures were in disrepair and had exposed sharp points that could injure animals.
- The facility didn’t have a sufficient number of adequately trained employees to maintain professionally acceptable levels of husbandry care. The inspectors stated that “[a]dditional employees should be hired, or possible number of animals reduced to ensure animal welfare standards are maintained for overall health and wellbeing of the 300 plus animals cared for at the park.”
- The facility didn’t have a readily identifiable employee present throughout the roadside zoo in areas where more than 100 sheep, goats, and deer roam free and have contact with the public.
- The facility has housed a male chimpanzee named George alone without adequate enrichment since the death of his companion, Daphne, in November 2023. This likely causes him extreme psychological distress, as chimpanzees are highly social animals who live in large groups in nature. During the inspection, George was observed facing a wall.
- Several areas were strewn with trash, food waste, and debris. Public walkways were caked with feces, and there was a significant odor in these areas.
- A lion was housed in an enclosure made of insecure chain-link fencing without a perimeter fence around it—which could put her, other animals, and the public in serious danger.
- The facility had no enrichment plan for birds, including an emu who was housed without other emus.
Based on these egregious findings, PETA sent a complaint to Oregon law-enforcement officials urging them to take action. We noted that not only is the roadside zoo neglecting the animals, it also appears to be violating state laws by continuing to exhibit animals after its wildlife exhibitor permit expired last year. The facility is ineligible for a new one.
Additionally, PETA notified the U.S. Department of Justice that the conditions in which the roadside zoo confines George the chimpanzee likely violate the Endangered Species Act.
West Coast Game Park Safari Is Playing in Feds’ Faces
These most recent citations are just the latest slap on the wrist for West Coast Game Park Safari, which has a long history of violating the AWA. This tourist trap has previously been cited by the USDA for failing to provide adequate veterinary care for a tiger who died after getting into a fight with another tiger, allowing excessive public contact with a baby bobcat and a juvenile bear, and killing two bears, Sugar and Spice, by gunshot.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service also found that the facility was in violation of the Big Cat Public Safety Act—which prohibits public contact with big cats—for allowing guests to pet a juvenile jaguar in 2023.
Help the Animals Suffering at West Coast Game Park Safari
YOU can take action by never visiting this roadside zoo or any other tourist trap that exploits animals. Tell the park to end its cruel public encounters and make a plan to send the chimpanzee and other animals to reputable facilities where they could live in vast, lush habitats free from exploitation:
