“On August 17, USDA’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS) suspended the exhibit license for Jeff Lowe, owner of the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park, for 21 days,” an APHIS spokesman told Yahoo Entertainment. “The facility is closed, and Lowe may not be doing any regulated activity during the suspension. After the 21-day suspension, APHIS will evaluate the status of the animals at the facility and determine next steps. ”
Jeff Lowe and wife Lauren Dropla with a lion in the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park. (Photo: Getty Images)
APHIS declined to provide any further information on the basis of the Lowe suspension or the closure of the Wynnewood Zoo, Okla., Formerly owned by Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, also known as Joe Exotic. However, a public report published in late June revealed many violations related to injured animals, poor living conditions and poor diet.
In a since deleted post, Lowe took to the park’s Facebook page on Tuesday to announce the permanent closure and address what he claims to be “false accusations” by the responsible government agency.
“As of today, we have decided to close the old zoo immediately,” Lowe wrote. “[Due to] the permanent closure of the Wynnewood Zoo, I forgot my USDA exhibitor license. The heinous agency that has given my facility five consecutive perfect inspections has now succumbed to PETA’s pressure and continues to make false accusations against me. ”
Lowe went on to claim that he had contacted the USDA to voluntarily “forget” my license “just 24 hours before he was notified that his license would be suspended for 21 days. He even announced that he would open a new park to act as a “private film set for Tiger King-related television content,” which he said was a decision made more than a month ago.
“Be assured that all animals will remain in excellent care, and will therefore no longer be subject to USDA inspections as PETA spies,” Lowe wrote.
Maldonado-Passage’s nemesis Carole Baskin was awarded the title at the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in early June, giving Lowe 120 days to empty the property and remove all animals. Lowe pointed out on Facebook that he believes the popular show the zoo presented it and its key players opened up to public criticism and inspection by animal rights organizations everywhere.
“The Tiger King phenomenon has changed our lives in many ways. It has brought us more attention than what man deserves, good and bad, “he wrote. “It has and will probably continue to make us a target of every nutjob and animal rights in the world, but we are ready.”
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