citation_inspection: 19303

There were many structures that were not being maintained. ***There was a hole in the wood siding in the giraffe barn. There were sharp points on the exposed wood. *** The top of the chain link fence housing the juvenile camel in the walk-through area was pulled apart, with sharp points at head level of the camel. ***There were two enclosures housing two ligers and one tiger that did not have sufficient enclosure fencing. The exterior fence was twelve feet high with a three foot kick-in at 90 degrees. Big cat enclosures must have enclosure fencing that is twelve feet high with a three foot kick-in at 45 degrees or have a 16 foot high fence. ***The chain link fencing used to protect trees in two enclosures was pulled apart with sharp points. There were two ligers and one tiger in these enclosures. ***There was loose metal on several shelters in the drive-through portion of the facility. The sheet metal was pulled away from the support structure, both exterior and interior, and in most instances was within reach of the animals contained within the enclosure. ***The wood platforms in the big cat area on the hill were deteriorating. There were broken pieces of wood, bolts exposed, and some of the platforms appeared unstable. The housing facility shall be structurally sound and maintained in good repair to protect the animals from injury and contain the animals. The licensee must remove all sharp points or alter them in a manner that eliminates the injury risk to the animals. The licensee must also repair or replace the wood platforms. The two ligers were moved to an enclosure with an enclosed top during the inspection. The tiger must be moved to an appropriate enclosure or the fencing in the current enclosure must be changed so that it is appropriate for the tiger.