PETA urges closure of struggling Northwest Florida zoo

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has sent letters to Santa Rosa and Escambia County officials to urge them to stop providing financial help to The Zoo Northwest Florida.

In the letter, PETA criticized The Zoo for using its animals as collateral to receive a $100,000 loan.

PETA representatives also wrote that The Zoo has not acted in the best interest of the animals since it was stripped of its accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in 2006.

"Using a baby orangutan as loan collateral is beyond reprehensible, and it proves once again that The Zoo Northwest Florida is not fit to care for animals," said PETA Director Debbie Leahy. "Instead of funding this abysmal facility, the Santa Rosa and Escambia County commissioners should be demanding its closure."

PETA also cited several animal deaths at The Zoo in recent years as other reasons it should be closed. A baby hippopotamus and an adult capybara were killed in 2007 by the baby hippo’s father. A popular giraffe also died.

Danyelle Lantz, The Zoo‘s executive director, was not surprised by PETA’s letter.

"PETA by policy is against zoos, period," Lantz said. "They are against all zoos, but they specifically target zoos not accredited by the AZA.

"As far as the animals are concerned, it is not unusual for them to be collateral on loans," Lantz added. "They are cute and fuzzy, but animals are assets in a business perspective, just like the buildings and grounds."

Santa Rosa and Escambia counties contributed $125,000 each to The Zoo last year. Lantz and other zoo supporters have attended recent Santa Rosa County Commission meetings to seek continued funding and also plan to ask Escambia officials for more money.