citation_inspection: 11722

The food in the Enclosure #34 housing two bears, Cody and Pebbles, was not wholesome or free from contamination. A plastic bag containing a thick, yellow liquid, that the licensee thought might be butter, was mixed in with the diet. This poses a risk to the animals for an intestinal obstruction if ingested and is not a wholesome food item. The diet also had noticeable fecal matter on top of the food in the receptacle which contaminates the feed and poses a health risk to the animals from infectious organisms that is present in fecal matter. An excessive amount of flies were noted in the food preparation kitchen, around the food for all the bears (Enclosure #8 housing 3 juvenile black bears, Lil Racy, Coda, and Xena; Enclosure #34 housing 2 juvenile black bears, Cody and Pebbles; Enclosure housing 2 black bears, Lolli and Holly, and 1 brown bear, Huggy). Flies carry and transmit infectious organisms and may contaminate food items and food preparation surfaces, posing a risk to the health of the animals. The licensee is not following the diet plan approved by the attending veterinarian for "Added calcium supplement for cubs".The plan lists two calcium supplements to be given, Prima Cal 2 scoops of supplement per pound of meat and Calcium Citrate 4 scoops of supplement per pound of meat. Only Prima Cal was found during the inspection and the licensee stated that was all they were using and they were following the directions on the manufacturer's label. There were three young tiger cubs housed in Enclosure #6, 16 week old male orange tiger Rousey, 15 week old female white tiger with no name given, and 15 week old female white tiger Aurora. Aurora was being examined by a veterinarian for the licensee during the inspection due to a right front leg lameness. She appeared to APHIS inspectors to be reluctant to walk and to be in pain when she walked in the enclosure where she had been returned after she was examined and radioigraphed. The male cub, Rousey, appeared to have a swollen left wrist at the time of this inspection. Lameness and joint swelling in young, growing tiger cubs may be caused by inadequate calcium in the diet and this can lead to serious injury and health consequences (eg. fractured bones) if not prevented or addressed early by diet supplementation. The licensee should be consulting with the attending veterinarian about these cubs and should ensure that the calcium supplementation is being given as directed. The food shall be wholesome, palatable, and free from contamination and the diet shall be prepared with consideration for the age, species, condition, size, and type of the animal. To be corrected by 9/12/2015.