Zoo featured on 'Tiger King' closes permanently after USDA suspends license
You know how they say that there's no such thing as bad publicity? Tell that to Jeff Lowe.
It's likely that without all of the public attention being showered on Wynnewood's Exotic Animal Park, brought to public awareness by the hit Netflix documentary "Tiger King," most people would never have heard of Lowe or his zoo. Unfortunately for him, they have. And while show star Joe Exotic doesn't have too much to worry about, already being in prison and all, Lowe has to deal with the greatly increased scrutiny on the roadside zoo. It looks like it finally came to a head.
Just before Lowe was about to surrender his exhibitor's license to USDA, the government agency beat him to it and pulled it themselves. What happens next for the park and its animals remains to be seen - Lowe has floated the possibility of making it a filming studio for "Tiger King" related content. Still, combined with the recent shuttering of another infamous roadside zoo, Wildlife in Need, it's a shot across the bow of many animal exhibitors. It's no coincidence that these are two of the most high-profile roadside zoos in the country, the clearest targets for critics and activists.
(Note: As I've stated elsewhere in this blog, I do not equate "zoo not accredited by the AZA" with "roadside zoo". To me, the later phrase denotes a facility that is exceptionally shoddy, purely profit driven, and provides inadequate animal care. There are several excellent non-AZA facilities in this country).
Earlier this year, Wynnewood saw an explosion of attendance due to the fame brought by the documentary series. It looks like fame can be a blessing and a curse. Of course, for the animals housed at the Exotic Animal Park, closure - and the possibility of being rehomed - isn't exactly a curse.
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