Undercover investigation reveals alleged abuse of tiger cubs at Natural Bridge Zoo

(WSLS 10) - The Humane Society of the United States announced Thursday their results from two undercover investigations at the Tiger Safari in Oklahoma and Natural Bridge Zoo in Virginia. Members say their investigation revealed inhumane treatment of tiger cubs exploited for photographic opportunities, indiscriminate breeding of tigers, rampant trade in cubs for public handling, and dumping of the cubs once they were no longer profitable. 

They said the roadside zoos allow members of the public to pet, feed, pose and play with baby tigers for a fee.

Members with the Humane Society of the United States say their investigations documented the profitable business of using infant tigers for public photo shoots and other moneymaking events; fees ranged from $50 to $1,000 per session. They said video footage graphically revealed the distress and abuse endured by the endangered animals used for this practice. 

They said tiger cubs were forcibly separated from their mothers during birth and the first few months of their lives were dictated exclusively by public handling schedules. They said cubs who were tired, overheated, thirsty, hungry or sick were required to sit still for a parade of paying customers.

Natural Bridge Zoo owner Karl Mogensen says the allegations are untrue. He says all animals at the zoo receive veterinary care as well as nutritious meals.

Public USDA inspection records show that Natural Bridge Zoo is in compliance, however ths HSUS says they are currently investigating.

The HSUS documented:

• Both facilities separated tiger cubs from their mothers during the birthing process for hand-rearing.
• Tiger Safari and Natural Bridge Zoo began subjecting tiger cubs to public handling when the infants were just three and four weeks of age respectively.
• Manhandling and physical discipline of cubs when they would not cooperate for photo shoots. All 4 cubs at both zoos were punched and slapped. At Tiger Safari, Maximus, a white tiger cub was dragged, choked, tossed and suspended by his legs and tail.
• Tiger cubs were mercilessly over handled, were frequently awakened to be handled and often screamed in distress as they were passed around for entertainment.

The video also shows the bodies of dead animals being put into freezers. Mogensen said that the bodies are kept there because many are preserved by a taxidermist and are donated to organizations who may want to display them for free.

Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS said: "Our investigations revealed never-before seen abuse, neglect, and the over breeding that goes on behind the scenes at these tiger cub handling operations. We must put an end to this dangerous and cruel business."

Parts of the video show dead animals at Natural Bridge Zoo, including a giraffe who was pregnant.

"Some of the things I saw in the video, they saw them picking up a dead monkey. Well, we have a lot of older animals here, animals die. The giraffe in question was 24 years old, she had had twins the year before," Mogensen said.

While Mogensen says the HSUS's video is slanted, and only shows one side of the story, he does say that allowing cubs at 17 weeks of age to appear in pictures from the public was "probably not the best decision of the handler."

He says the photo opportunities with the cubs are a separate business from the zoo, operated by his daughter Gretchen.

Full investigation report from the Natural Bridge Zoo in Virginia found

here

.

Full Response from Natural Bridge Zoo owner Karl Mogensen:

"To all our good friends, I make the following reply. HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) an animal rights organization, which like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and IDA (In Defense of Animals) must constantly keep up its slanderous accusations and vicious propaganda in order to solicit donations from kind, compassionate and well- meaning people who have no idea just how their money is being misused.

They, unknowing to us, had one of their employees apply for a job with us this summer. The young girl, named Whitney Warrington, was a poised, articulate, and obviously well-educated young person who seemed a little out of place volunteering at a small zoo at this stage in her life. Although my wife Debbie, had reservations about her and refused to hire her, our daughter Gretchen befriended her and had her volunteer at the zoo for the summer and eventually work at the zoo gift shop.

While Gretchen was doing tiger photos, Whitney assisted her and even spent a great deal of time at Gretchen's private home where the tigers were kept during off photo hours.

She always wore a sleeveless bush type jacket, where she obviously had her concealed recording equipment. During her time with us, she was selectively filming anything which could be portrayed as animal abuse such as the death of our 24-year-old female giraffe, who passed from natural causes, and a young bottle-raised white female dromedary camel, who unfortunately, got her neck caught in a farm gate and hanged herself.

She repeatedly attempted to portray Gretchen as abusive to her tiger cubs and to primates which Gretchen was giving medical treatment. Soon after Whitney left, supposedly to take care of her ailing mother, we were bombarded by the USDA with 3 inspectors and 2 investigators, who spent 5 days going over everything possible that could ever have happened at our zoological park.

Many of the radical animal rights groups have infiltrated our governmental agencies (USDA) and are unfortunately, with their well- financed lobbying efforts and publicity stunts, are instrumental in making radical and biased changes to our existing laws.

That HSUS has infiltrated the USDA to a large extent was apparent with the timing and magnitude of the intense inspection which they subjected our zoological park to after their HSUS undercover employee left.

The general public, while well-meaning and with the best of intentions, is easily influenced by the never ending rhetoric and constant attack by these radical groups constantly bombarding zoos, farmers and anyone keeping or raising animals. These animal rights groups, while manipulating the news media to their advantage, actually spend about 1 percent of their budget on actual care.

You never hear any of these animal rights groups doing anything to help or assist with any threatened or endangered species. This would cost them some of their money which they choose to spend on their own luxuries and self-indulgence. They treat the general uninformed public like a cash cow and will continue to do so unless we can make the compassionate, donating public realize that they are being duped and could put their money to a much better if they were really trying to animals and or wildlife in need."