NEWS
editionap.ca
Facebook page calls on authorities to close zoo
ments on some of the photos and de- tails presented. Some comments in response support the two and their ef- forts while other comments question either the accuracy of the information or how recent the photos are. In other media interviews Forgie has also raised that question. Hierlihy says they believe they have enough information to bring in the authori- ties.” While Hierlihy and Allen entitled their Facebook page Close Papanack Zoo, they indicated their main goal is to improve the situation for the animals in care there. If conditions at the zoo were improved, they would be satisfied to see Papanack Zoo continue operating. “I would be all for that,” Hierlihy said. “If the authorities would step in to improve things, I would support that. Our big con- cern is the welfare of the animals.” “The very least we want is to ensure these animals are taken care of,” said Allen.
GREGGCHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
WENDOVER | Mel the Zebra no longer lives in the zookeeper’s kitchen. The latest addition to the animal resi- dents at Papanack Zoo has moved out of the house and into temporary quarters in a garage used to store animal feed. The food stores were relocated elsewhere to make more room available for the two-month-old zebra colt to stretch his legs when he is not outside for one of his daily runs around the field with one of the assistant zookeepers. While plans are underway to build a larg- er and more permanent barn to house the young zebra, head zookeeper and founder of Papanack Zoo Keith Forgie is laid up in the house with a bad case of the flu. He is also occupied dealing with complaints filed by two former zoo employees about past animal care practices and the state of the facilities at the local zoo and exotic animal breeding station. Forgie is declining further comment on the complaints situation for now. Mean- while Katie Hierlihy, who lives in Russell Township, and Kent Allen, who has moved back to the Maritimes, are working togeth- er on managing a Facebook page, entitled Close Papanack Zoo. The Facebook page has a dual purpose for the two ex-assistant zookeepers. First is to provide a place for photos and
details from Hierlihy and Allen to support their claims that the Wendover exotic ani- mal facility is not operating up to the prop- er standards of care and control for all of its animal residents. The second has wider political implications for roadside zoos and anyonewhoowns anexotic animal inOntario. “Our goal is to educate the public about what is going on in Papanack, specifically,” said Hierlihy during a phone interview, “and also about the complete lack of laws in Ontario regarding ownership of exotic ani- mals. Right now Ontario has the most road- side zoos of any province in the country.” She also noted that the province has little or no regulations specific to the care and treatment of exotic animals kept either at zoos or as part of a private menagerie, other than those rules guiding organizations like the SPCA. The Ministry of Natural Resources can investigate cases of animal neglect in- volving native species like raccoons, skunks, deer, or even a bear. But exotic animals like tigers, lions, lemurs, monkeys, and such are outside of the ministry’s jurisdiction. Creation of the Facebook page is the lat- est of several efforts between the two to publicize conditions at Papanack. They
have called both the Ottawa SPCA and the Cornwall regional SPCA offices to press for on-site inspections of the zoo, and have also been in touch with ZooCheck, an organiza- tion dedicated to monitoring conditions for exotic animals kept at zoos and menager- ies. The Ottawa Animal Defence League has expressed interest in the situation since the Facebook page went up. “We’ve always talked about doing a Face- book page,” said Allen, during a phone in- terview from Halifax, Nova Scotia. “But it’s always been a last resort. We wanted to go through proper channels first.” Allen admitted that the Facebook page has received mixed reactions and com-
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