Las Vegas Zoo (Closed) Legal hijinks at the Las Vegas Zoo

[DavidBrown]

The Las Vegas Zoo seems to be one of the worst reviewed zoos in North America, and it is in legal trouble with OSHA (the agency charged with protecting worker safety in the work place). It seems that the zoo director has created an unsafe zoo for employees, animals, and visitors.

Problems include sending teenaged interns into unprotected contact with chimpanzees and monkeys.

My favorite citation was for lack of exit signs in the reptile house. This is the zoo director's response, one worthy of enshrinement in the zoo mismanagement hall of fame:
"OSHA also wrote up violation in the reptile house, saying it has no safeguards such as exit signs. Dingle told the inspector he's aware OSHA requires that, but said 'The room is small enough that if you didn't know where to go to exit the building, then it was your own fault.' "

Report: Employees, animals in danger at Las Vegas Zoo - www.ktnv.com

 

[Arizona Docent]

Having personally visited this zoo myself once (and never again), I can assure you there is no good reason for it to exist.

 

[DavidBrown]

Having personally visited this zoo myself once (and never again), I can assure you there is no good reason for it to exist.

This zoo seems to get a lot of negative media attention. The story also said that the zoo director is paying himself over $100,000 a year at the same time that he is always saying that he can't build good exhibits for the animals because the zoo is broke.

I'm surprised that this zoo continues to exist given the wretched press coverage and lack of public support that it seems to get, but I guess that this is the only zoo that Las Vegas is willing to support, which is very sad. They do have a great aquarium (Shark Reef) and the Las Vegas Springs Preserve at least.

 

[elefante]

It surprises me that Vegas doesn't have a decent zoo. It seems that a city that size would be able to support something nice.