Austin Zoo sent an email congratulating themselves for passing their recent USDA inspection. We acknowledge that animal care has improved since a group of zookeepers alerted the Board of Directors to the abuses that were occurring. We are extremely proud that no animal has suffered prolonged end of life suffering since the Board witnessed and ended the suffering of Tabby the bobcat and Cheyenne the wolf hybrid. Animals at Austin Zoo are currently not suffering due to poor management because people are paying attention! This has always been our goal. When public interest has diminished, the animals at the Zoo will NEED and independent, informed Board to pay attention. It is worth noting that the USDA does not oversee the care of reptiles or birds, so the conditions of these animals is of no concern to the inspectors. It is also important to point out that the Zoo has spent weeks sanitizing the medical records of the animals outlined in the zookeepers’ letter to the Board.
Please help us ensure that the animals remain safe after public attention has died down. The animals of Austin Zoo deserve a qualified Director and an independent Board! Join us to protest Austin Zoo management on March 17, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. and on March 21, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. on Rawhide Trail. Please visit Rebuild Austin Zoo Protest on Facebook for information. Further details will be sent in the coming days.
Questions that remain unanswered:
1) Why is the Director of the Zoo still the President of the Board of Directors?
2) Who are your new Board members and what are their qualifications?
3) Have you adopted and shared a written end of life protocol?
4) Does a staff-member’s son still serve on the Board of Directors?
5) Have any of the zookeepers interviewed by USDA been employed by the zoo for longer than a year?
6) Were those USDA keeper interviews conducted with the Director, Deputy Director, or Zoo’s lawyer monitoring keeper statements?
PLEASE HELP US DEMAND TRANSPARENCY!
You can contact us at austinzookeepers@gmail.com or PO Box 941, Dripping Springs, TX 78620. We will forward any questions or comments to the Austin Zoo Board of Directors.