After a lengthy criminal investigation, Oregon State Police say authorities served multiple search warrants on Thursday at the West Coast Game Park Safari in Bandon.
That investigation is related to issues of animal care and business practices at the roadside zoo, according to a statement by OSP.
State police are working with partners, including the Oregon Department of Justice, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Coos County Sheriff’s Office and the IRS Criminal Investigation.
The zoo, which includes more than 300 animals, has a history of violating the Animal Welfare Act. Investigators with the United States Department of Agriculture cited the park 78 times for not complying with those regulations over the past year.
According to an April report by the USDA, two lions and a leopard had “hips, ribs, and spine[s] prominently displayed under the skin,” suggesting they were underfed. The veterinarian for West Coast Game Park Safari told investigators that the park had not requested him to examine the animals.
In December, the USDA found a coatimundi, a small mammal native to South America, reluctant to leave its enclosure. When inspectors visited the park a month later, they found the coatimundi dead. The USDA report says a veterinarian never examined the exotic animal.
Investigators have also noted that multiple animals, including two wallabies, have disappeared from the zoo without any documents of sale or death.
Brian Tenney, the owner of the zoo, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The zoo’s website claims it is the state’s “largest, totally self-supporting wildlife attraction.”
State police said the park was closed on Thursday while authorities searched the property. “Community members and visitors are encouraged to avoid the facility,” according to a statement from OSP.
