Animal welfare violations swarm Miami zoo owned by ex-drug kingpin in Tiger King
Summary
Federal wildlife inspectors found many animal welfare problems at a Miami zoo owned by Mario Tabraue, a convicted drug trafficker featured in the Netflix show Tiger King. The zoo had unsafe animal enclosures, bad hygiene, and harmful situations that led to an endangered leopard losing a leg and a capybara dying.Key Facts
- The Miami zoo is called Zoological Wildlife Foundation (ZWF) and is owned by Mario Tabraue, a convicted drug trafficker.
- Inspectors found unsafe, dirty cages and food and water contaminated with algae and dead insects.
- An endangered clouded leopard had a leg amputated after being injured by a male leopard during breeding attempts.
- A female capybara died after being housed with a male capybara that likely killed her during mating.
- The USDA cited these incidents as violations of the Animal Welfare Act, which requires animals housed together to be compatible.
- The zoo charges $1,500 an hour for offsite animal "field trips" featuring exotic species.
- Animal welfare groups have called for the zoo to close due to the dangerous and harmful conditions for animals.
- The USDA ordered the zoo to separate incompatible animals immediately but has not confirmed if they re-inspected.
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