Need to Rant....About a Zoo I Volenteer at...

[Bellabob]

I'm not going to name the zoo.

When I first started volenteering at this small, privatley owned zoo, I was having a blast. The animals all seemed healthy and happy. The owner of the zoo had me taking care of all the reptiles (excluding venomous ones) and birds, and other animals. Then over time I started to notice something. The zoo is horribly unorganized, many cages are extremley, extremley dirty and need to be cleaned. Many animals are neglected veterinary care because of money issues, a lot of the cages are too small for certain animals, etc. The zoo keeps full grown adult 5ft kingsnakes in 5 gallon sliding glass door terrariums. Way to small if you ask me. They keep 2 burmese pythons together, and one time the female attacked the male and almost killed him, I came back next week and he was STILL in the same cage.

Then I come and they have a reticulated python in the same cage as the 2 burmese pythons. WTF? They practically starve the burmese, every time I go I have to feed her like 10 massive rats, I have only seen her ONCE eat a prey item large enough for her (she is a big snake) and that was a rabbit....many many months ago when I first started in Dec. of last year. The owners idea of a "good cleaning" is replacing the dirty substrate. Thats it. No wiping down the sides of the cages, or anything. He doesn't even clean the water bowls.

He has 5 large boas and pythons in the back of the zoo where no visitors are alowed. I went back there and in one of the the burmeses cages there was a dead and rotting prey item, it was almost a skeleton, there were flies buzzing all around it and it smells like crap in the room. The has an at least 3 to 4 ft carpet python in a VERY small sterrilite tub. In that room along with those snakes are other snakes with very dirty tubs.

Since I have been there, 2 red tail boas, 1 anaconda 1 mexican black kingsnake, 1 burmese python, and many other animals have died besides reptiles. I noticed the 2 red tails had a severe case of RI, I told him about it, and he said "it's normal." IT'S NORMAL? ARE YOU SERIOUS? A RI infection is NEVER normal!! Of course, he did NOTHING about it and they both died. The female was pregnant at the time too. They sat in their cages forever before anyone noticed their rotting dead bodies.

The rat house is ABSOLUTLEY DISGUSTING!!! It has an extremley strong sent of rat piss and crap. The tubs are horribly unsanitary and I'm surprised the whole collection of snakes isint dead because we are feeding them that. I opened up one tub, and the rats inside were white, but they were covered in black. It looked like ash was all over them. I know they are feeders...but really? I can barely breathe in that place. I have to wear a mask and gloves it's so bad.

When I first went into the back room where all the snakes are kept, there were many many tubs, full of snakes. Hog Island Boas, Carpet Pythons, etc. Next week, I come in, and the room is practically empty. I asked my boss where they went..guess where they went? Snake heaven. They all died. seven to 10 snakes died suddenly out of no where. And the owner wonders why they died....hmm..maybe it was...snake crap in the water....dirty unsanitary conditions...cramped spaces...stuffy stagnant air...all that will kill a snake.

I don't know whats wrong with the owner. I see an animal that OBVIOUSLY has something wrong with it...I tell him about it...and he says the animal is fine. WTF!!! Is he an animal hoarder?

Many people, even former employees and volenteers have tried to shut the zoo down. They try to get acreddited by the AZA, and they can't because of the condition the zoo is in.

I'm thinking about just not volenteering there anymore because it's so awful. But I'm 15...and it would look good on my college transcript that I worked at a zoo for 4 years.

I don't know. This whole thing pisses me off. Thanks for reading, sorry that it's so long.