Animal rights group PETA asks Idaho to investigate ‘deceptive’ Yellowstone Bear World practices

Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman

Editor’s Note: EastIdahoNews.com besides reached retired to Yellowstone Bear World astir PETA’s title but did not person a response.

MADISON COUNTY (Idaho Statesman) — An often-controversial animal authorities group has asked Idaho’s lawyer wide to analyse a wildlife park’s business claims, which nan activistic group said misled nan nationalist into believing nan parkland is simply a rescue operation.

People for nan Ethical Treatment of Animals, aliases PETA, filed nan user protection complaint astir Yellowstone Bear World earlier this month, urging nan lawyer general’s agency to analyse alleged insinuations from nan parkland and its unit that Yellowstone Bear World is simply a sanctuary aliases nonprofit. The animal authorities group besides alleged Bear World made misleading claims astir keeping bears connected its spot for life and falsely advertised nan size of its property.

Bear World is simply a drive-through wildlife park successful eastbound Idaho that is location to galore animal species, including its namesake achromatic and grizzly bears. The parkland has faced aggravated scrutiny complete its animal care, carnivore breeding and cub bottle-feeding practices, peculiarly aft nan viral 2020 “Tiger King” documentary drew attraction to roadside animal exhibitors.

Complaints for illustration PETA’s do not require nan lawyer general’s agency to investigate. However, if nan agency decides to prosecute nan claims and finds Bear World successful usurpation of user protection laws, it could look fines for damages to customers, arsenic good arsenic an further $5,000 good for each violation.

PETA officials told nan Idaho Statesman nan lawyer general’s agency has confirmed receipt of nan complaint. The lawyer general’s agency did not respond to a petition for remark connected nan complaint. The agency has antecedently told nan Statesman it cannot remark connected imaginable investigations.

Yellowstone Bear World president and co-owner Courtney Ferguson did not respond to an emailed petition for comment.

PETA claims Bear World misled customers

PETA’s title claims that Bear World has violated nan Idaho Consumer Protection Act by knowingly providing incorrect accusation to customers. Part of nan title states that Yellowstone Bear World and its labor have, connected galore occasions, made statements that represent nan parkland arsenic a sanctuary alternatively than nan for-profit grounds that it is.

PETA said a Yellowstone Bear World floor plan connected Meridian-based trading level Liiingo labels nan parkland a “wildlife sanctuary” and “bear sanctuary.” PETA besides included quotes from Ferguson, who it said has many times referred to Bear World’s cub bottle-feeding programme arsenic a “fundraiser.” The parkland charges $75 per personification to pet and provender nan cubs, according to nan Bear World website.

PETA’s title said Ferguson past twelvemonth told attendees astatine a promotional arena successful Ammon, Idaho, that “all nan money that we raise astatine nan fundraiser location each goes backmost to nan acquisition programs, goes backmost to nan attraction of nan animals location astatine Yellowstone Bear World.”

He made akin statements to a news anchor astatine a Sportsmen’s Expo successful Salt Lake City successful 2022, according to nan complaint.

“An animal sanctuary is simply a installation that provides safe haven to animals successful need,” PETA wrote successful its complaint. “A business that breeds animals to utilization them for commercialized accumulation and past waste them to different accommodation is nan nonstop other of a sanctuary.”

PETA said “fundraisers” are wide understood to beryllium directed toward charities aliases causes.

The animal authorities group besides said Bear World has misled customers astir wherever its bears unrecorded retired their days. PETA included galore screenshots from societal media of Bear World’s replies to show commenters that cubs will walk their lives astatine its facility. Bear World has made nan aforesaid claims to media.

PETA said U.S. Department of Agriculture records showed that’s not true. The records, included arsenic exhibits successful nan complaint, showed Bear World has transferred much than 100 bears to different accommodation since 2012. Many of those bears person been sent to Woody’s Menagerie successful Illinois, wherever proprietor Gregg Woody has illegally purchased animals without a USDA licence and been investigated for mediocre animal care. PETA said Woody has besides sent bears and different animals to slaughterhouses.

The title pointed to 2 instances erstwhile it said it was clear Bear World was knowingly lying to nan nationalist astir keeping bears on-site. In one, a commenter asked whether a carnivore named Tucker was still astatine nan facility. Bear World responded and said he was, contempt USDA records that showed a carnivore named Tucker had been sold to Woody six years earlier. In nan different case, a Facebook personification commented connected a 2020 photograph of 3 bears playing successful nan snowfall and asked whether they were nan erstwhile year’s cubs.

“Yep!” Bear World responded. “These are nan 2019 cubs, but successful a fewer weeks it will beryllium their day and they’ll beryllium yearlings! Then they’ll move down to nan yearling enclosure successful nan main area of our parkland truthful they person tons of room to tally and play arsenic they grow.”

PETA said Bear World had posted nan aforesaid photograph connected societal media successful 2018, and couldn’t person a photograph depicting 3 of nan 2019 cubs anyhow because each but 2 of them were sold to Woody.

Finally, PETA’s title said Bear World has advertised its parkland arsenic a 120-acre drive-through installation erstwhile parcel records from Madison County show nan publically accessible area is little than half that size. The full parcel, including inaccessible areas, is 112 acres, according to nationalist spot records.

PETA has history of clashes pinch Bear World

The title isn’t PETA’s first clip confronting Yellowstone Bear World. In nan past, protesters from nan group person picketed its Baby Animal Days event, and successful 2022, a PETA interrogator worked astatine Bear World and claimed they witnessed mistreatment of cubs, including 1 pinch a fractured limb that was denied prescribed painkillers.

PETA said its investigation was straight responsible for an Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation that led to 3 workplace information violations for Bear World and $9,000 successful fines.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game besides cited Bear World successful caller years complete archiving of animal births and deaths. Fish and Game officials told nan Idaho Falls Post-Register they had worked pinch Bear World to correct violations of authorities regulations against allowing nan nationalist to provender captive animals. Documents showed successful 2022 Bear World besides fought pinch nan authorities agency erstwhile it insisted it beryllium allowed to run nether position and conditions established successful 2001 that nary longer complied pinch Fish and Game regulations.

RELATED | Yellowstone Bear World, fined by OSHA, lobbies for measure to nix oversight of wildlife parks

Last year, Bear World lobbied for a measure that would region it and different backstage zoos and drive-through animal parks from authorities oversight, relying only connected USDA regulations, which are little stringent than Fish and Game’s. The measure was signed into law.

RELATED | Governor signs measure reducing authorities regularisation of Bear World

Charlotte Cunnington, a lobbyist for Yellowstone Bear World, told nan Senate Resources and Environment Committee nan measure was a nonstop consequence of PETA’s 2022 undercover operation.

Cunnington said PETA and different animal authorities activists “utilize nan agency title process to effort to unopen businesses for illustration ours down, and we cognize that they will not stop.”

“This measure will let Yellowstone Bear World to tally its business without perpetually looking complete its shoulder,” Cunnington told lawmakers.