GENTRY — Cars were lined up out into the road to get into the Wild Wilderness Safari on Thursday afternoon, and everywhere adults and children were enjoying the animals and their time in the animal park. Either no one knew or no one cared about the most recent complaint filed against the popular attraction in Gentry.
The Animal Welfare Institute, a Washington, D.C., organization which was instrumental in the passage of the Animal Welfare Act in 1966 and which opposes confined farming operations like the many poultry growing operations in northwest Arkansas, released a complaint and press release on March 14 in which it alleges that the Wild Wilderness Safari in Gentry "is one of the worst [animal] exhibitors in the country."
No mention was included in the release of the most recent inspection of the Safari on Feb. 1, 2017, in which the only deficiency found was that water receptacles in a large cat enclosure "were green in color," indicating that they were not being cleaned and sanitized often enough. Nor was any mention made of all the work the Safari has done to correct any alleged deficiencies in its care of the animals and to provide for the safety of park visitors.
Visits to the Safari reveal ongoing improvements at the facility, including barriers between humans and animals and the current construction of a large barn with heated floors which can house rhinos or giraffes and provide warmth and protection from winter conditions.
AWI's president, Cathy Liss, stated in her press release that the organization was urging the USDA to revoke the Safari's exhibitor license and issue a significant fine. Liss acknowledged in an email to the Eagle Observer that neither she nor any representatives of the AWI had ever visited the Safari in Gentry or seen, first hand, the care and treatment of the animals there.
In the AWI press release Liss states: "This is one of the worst exhibitors in the country and has been for decades. It is appalling that they have been allowed to continue to operate. Enough is enough. We strongly urge the USDA to seek revocation of Wild Wilderness' exhibitor license, as well as a meaningful fine."
The release says that:
The USDA has already taken multiple enforcement actions against the exhibitor, dating back over 20 years -- including three formal complaints. This most recent complaint, which alleges that Wild Wilderness has 'willfully violated' the AWA, describes a multitude of extremely disturbing incidents from January 2012 to November 2016, including the following:
A young lion was found dead in his enclosure, strangled by his collar.
Two ring-tailed lemurs were found out of their enclosure chewing on live electrical wire.
A spider monkey was exposed to such extreme cold that he developed frostbite on his hands and feet and lost several digits.
An olive baboon chewed the end of his tail until it was completely severed. The inspectors who witnessed the tail falling to the ground wrote that it looked like a "dried piece of meat."
A gray wolf hybrid and an antelope were each found unable to bear weight on a front limb, while a rhesus monkey could not move his arm, tucking it in close to his body.
Excessive amounts of feces, a lack of water, or water with algae and other contaminants were found in animals' enclosures.
The press release further states:
According to the complaint and prior news reports, the facility poses a danger not only to its reported 886 animals (as of 2016), but also to visitors and its workers. Notable incidents involving harm to people include the following:
The park allowed a visitor to have direct contact with a lion. According to inspectors, this "uncontrolled" lion cub bit or scratched the visitor, requiring medical attention.
A worker had her arm pulled into an enclosure by a chimpanzee who bit off much of her hand, including two fingers.
Visitors climbed out of a car to pet an adult tiger through a cage, and the animal bit one of the visitors, stripping the flesh from her finger.
Two workers were mauled by cougars during an attempted cage transfer. One worker suffered multiple bites to an arm and leg and was airlifted to a hospital. The other worker was bitten in the face and transported to a local hospital.
Leon Wilmoth, manager at the Safari, acknowledged the dead lion cub was his fault. He said he put a collar and leash on the 7-month-old lion in February 2013 and then got an emergency call that took him away for just a few minutes. When he returned, he found the young lion had jumped over a pipe and hanged itself, adding that "it was no excuse" for letting that happen and he felt terrible about it.
"It made me sick. I take full responsibility for that. There was no intention of hurting that lion," Wilmoth said.
The incident was one of numerous instances in which the Safari is alleged to have violated U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations between 2012 and 2016, according to a complaint filed with the USDA by the administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in January.
A number of items in the complaint alleged inadequate veterinary care. Wilmoth said the Safari had failed to keep adequate veterinary records to show inspectors that animals which became sick or suffered injuries had been seen by a veterinarian and were being treated. He said they are now keeping records on all the veterinary visits and treatments.
Wilmoth explained that, with as many animals as held at the Safari, there will always be some which need veterinary care. He said Safari staff used to treat many of the ailments but now have to use a licensed veterinarian for every illness or injury.
Wilmoth said the Safari had paid a large fine to resolve similar allegations in the past. He said he was told it would cost him $40,000 to $50,000 to fight the allegations in court or he could write a check for the fines and the USDA "would make it all go away."
Wilmoth said the Safari is open to the public and has nothing to hide. He said, if the Safari loses its license and could no longer be open to the public, it would no longer be subject to USDA inspection.
Wilmoth said the Safari has hired attorney Kurtis Reeg, of the Goldberg Segalla law firm in St. Louis, to defend the Safari against the complaint.
Safari's Story
The 400-acre Safari is home to more than 800 animals, many of them exotic. Those who drive through the property will see lions and tigers, bison, antelope, deer, water buffalo, emus, a hippo and rhinoceros, camels and many other species. A separate walk-through area and petting zoo includes giraffes, snakes, monkeys, pigs and goats.
A 2014 article published by USA Today listed the Safari as the fourth-best animal safari in the country, calling it a "must see" while visiting Arkansas.
The safari is a family enterprise, which traces its origins to the 1960s, when Wilmoth's father, Ross Wilmoth, obtained his first three buffalo. His collection of animals slowly grew. It was around 1975 the family began charging admission. Ross Wilmoth died in 2005, but the family decided to keep the operation going. About two years ago, admission rates were increased to $15 for adults and $10 for children ages 3 to 12.
"We don't make much money. We make ends meet, but we do stimulate the local economy," Wilmoth said. He said the Safari spends a lot to comply with USDA regulations and recommendations.
Support for the Safari
The Cavalry Group, based in Grover, Mo., is an organization that describes itself as an advocate for animal owners and animal-related businesses, according to its website. Mindy Patterson, the group's president, issued a statement last week defending the safari.
"The challenge is that well-funded radical animal rights groups that know little, if anything, about the care of animals use misleading statements and false accusations about USDA inspection reports taken out of context which serve as nothing more than a fundraiser for their deceptively-named organizations which frequently use emotionally-based, unscientific propaganda to destroy legal businesses which do not align with their 'animal rights' ideology," the statement read.
Janie Parks, director of the Gentry Chamber of Commerce, said the Safari draws "tens of thousands" of visitors each year from all over the country.
"They're a vital part of our community," Parks said. "Their family has been involved in the community through several generations. They do a wonderful job out there."
Tracy Neal and Dave Perozek contributed to this article.
Wild Ride
Wild Wilderness Drive-Through Safari has been the focus of several legal matters and complaints over the years.
1998: Wild Wilderness pays an $8,000 fine to settle U.S. Department of Agriculture accusations of violations ranging from poor record-keeping to unsanitary conditions and improper pens, all of which occurred in 1993 and 1994.
2002: Freddy Wilmoth, who at the time was a Wild Wilderness manager, pleads guilty in federal court to a misdemeanor charge of violating the Endangered Species Act. He is sentenced to six months of home confinement and three years of probation and is ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution. Wilmoth had been charged for selling four endangered tigers that were later killed for their hides.
2005: A Benton County woman sues Wild Wilderness, claiming a monkey bit off much of her hand, including two fingers, as she was preparing to feed it during a visit to the park in 2004. The case was settled and the result is confidential, according to Chadd Mason, a Fayetteville attorney who represented the woman.
2015: A Benton County jury awards $916,745 to Wild Wilderness in compensation for 9 acres of the park taken by Southwest Electric Power for the placement of high-voltage lines. The utility company originally offered Wild Wilderness $36,600 for the land.
General News on 03/22/2017