Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo News

This could change everything for Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo! | Catoctin Wildlife Preserve & Zoo - Going up to vote is a ban for them to have certain animals at their zoo. There is one line in the article the confuses me,

"It calls for severe restrictions on what we can house, breed, obtain or trade. If passed, the bills would freeze members our animal family in their tracks and slowly let them die out."

Does this mean they are allowed to keep them until they die, but they are unable to mate? Would they have to put them down?
 
I briefly read the state senate version, did NOT read the state house version but article says they are basically the same.

They can keep but not breed any animals they have had since 2006. They cannot breed or import any primate, big cat or most venomous snakes. AZA facilities are exempt and - oddly enough - circuses are exempt. Catoctin is ZAA, but unfortunately it looks like ZAA is not exempt.

Just to clarify, this is a bill in the Maryland House and Senate which would affect facilities within that state only. It is NOT a bill in the US Congress.

Now my opinion (I am sure you were all waiting for ;)). This is very bad and is clearly an attempt by animal rights extremists to curtail zoos. They exempted the AZA for the sole reason that it is too powerful to fight. Same is true of circuses (mainly Ringling Bros is too powerful to fight). So they take what they can get, which shows their hypocrisy. They allow tigers to be transported and housed in small cages for circus entertainment but do not allow a ZAA accredited zoo to keep them in natural habitats? Ridiculous and I hope the Maryland lawmakers have enough sense to see through it.
 
No I did not read them. I did not realize that you could click on the links to see the bills. I will read them now.
 
I heard from a friend that is a zookeeper that this place and a couple of other places in Maryland have been targeted by the Humane Society and other groups due to poor conditions. This was the major reason behind the bills. Not sure what is really going on as I have only been once it was ehhh. Kinda left not happy I went.
 
The zoo has announced the birth of two foosas. This is the mother's first litter so she did stop showing interest in the pups and they have been pulled to be hand raised.
 
Arizona Docent said:
They can keep but not breed any animals they have had since 2006. They cannot breed or import any primate, big cat or most venomous snakes. AZA facilities are exempt and - oddly enough - circuses are exempt. Catoctin is ZAA, but unfortunately it looks like ZAA is not exempt.
Click to expand...

I wonder if this ever went into effect. I had a friend visit recently and they've recently acquired an Amur and snow leopard. Also, they plan to continue to breed their Bengal/white tigers (I'm not sure if they had them since 2006).

On a side note, they also have a couple binturongs too.
 
ZAA zoos tend to be mostly crap, I've heard. Most of them have names like "wild animal farm" or "ranch" or "safari". I have only visited Orange County Zoo and found it mighty fine and will soon be visiting African Safari Wildlife Park near Sandusky, Ohio. Catoctin is ZAA and really doesn't sound that good. I have never been but it seems shady.
 
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