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An investigator with the Virginia office Attorney General Jason S. Miyares (R) wrote in a warrant that the ongoing investigation found animals in distress and that the investigation revealed the store’s elephant, named Asha. , was found standing in a pool of his own urine and defecating because of him. bound and immobilized far away. Animal rights section has been calling for Asa’s release for a long time and for Natural Bridge to lose its elephant treatment license.
No charges have been filed against store officials to date.
“We believe there is a direct and immediate threat to the health and safety of the animals,” wrote the investigator and the attorney general’s office. “There are many animals without food and/or water, unsanitary or inappropriate environments, no animal care, no enrichment and suffering from bad treatment.”
Debbie Mogensen, who owns the zoo with her husband, Karl, referred questions to their attorney, Mario Williams, who he said was inaccurate. It’s the zoo and some of the claims in the court records are not true.
“We’re going to show these animals that aren’t abused and neglected,” Williams said.
The live animals found included sacred ibises, white capuchins, turtles and Burmese pythons, while the 28 dead animals included an alligator, mandrill and a green macaw, according to a warrant. The court records do not say how and when the animals died.
A hearing is scheduled in Rockbridge County District Court for Dec. 20 to determine what will happen to the animals. It will also be considered in court whether the four giraffes in the store were treated badly and were not confiscated. Williams has filed a lawsuit to try to postpone the hearing because there is not enough time to make a proper defense, he said.
Investigators also found a giraffe head, zebra legs, skins and other animal parts, but the search warrant did not mention it. whether they were part of an in-store display or were discontinued for some other reason.
Victoria LaCivita, a spokeswoman for Miyares, declined to comment on the criminal investigation because the investigation is ongoing, but she said “the tiger was euthanized with the consent of the owners. to put an end to his sufferings on the advice of the doctor after their tests.”
Investigators with the attorney general’s office wrote in a warrant that the investigation stemmed from information from an undercover informant, who was hired at the store in March. The informant took video footage and documented conditions at the zoo over several months while working as a groundskeeper.
A teacher, who takes care of Asha and uses a metal tool called a bull hook, told the presenter the importance of earning the animals’ respect and advised to “keep poking” at they “near the bone in the flesh,” in a warrant.
“Be reasonable,” the teacher told the informant.
The informant was able to gain access to the church where Asha was kept, according to a warrant. The teacher explained in the statement that Asha was often chained inside the church because the walls of the structure were cracked. The teacher could not be reached for comment.
The informant found Asha standing in her own waste because the restraint prevented her from going anywhere else, according to the warrant. The elephant lived alone for many years, and the researcher said that Asha had very little wealth.
“Asha would rock from side to side to calm herself and to relieve frustration and stress,” the warrant said.
Asha, who gives rides to zoo visitors, took 359 riders over two days, according to the warrant. The investigator wrote that sometimes the riders weighed more than the weight he had to carry.
The investigator from the Attorney General’s office also saw problems with other animals, including a monkey with severe hair loss, a flamingo with muddy water and a giraffe that has grown hooves during the visit to the store on Oct. 25, according to a warrant. .
Federal Zoo visitors have cited the Natural Bridge more than 150 times since 2000, according to a report by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. These cases include the mistreatment of a dead tiger cub, the beating of hard pigs on a hard surface to kill them so that they can be used as food for big cats, and the failure to track them down quickly. this was a mandrill that later died.
The Mogensen family has operated several roadside zoos in the area in recent years. Eric Mogensen, son of Karl Mogensen, previously owned the Reston House. Eric Mogensen’s daughter, Meghan, the zoo’s former director, was found guilty of drowning a wallaby in 2012. The family no longer owns the Reston Zoo.
Roadside stores, which are lightly regulated, have been plagued by problems in Virginia and states across the country. In Maryland, zebras that escaped from a roadside zoo gained national attention, before their owner was tried and acquitted of animal cruelty charges related to the incident.
A 2015 Washington Post investigation found more than 80 animals were killed, injured or sick at six area roadside stands over a decade. because of abuse, neglect and other issues.