Federal authorities have slapped a local wildlife foundation $5,400 in fines over six violations of the Animal Welfare Act.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a Citation and Notification of Penalty against the Barry R. Kirshner Wildlife Foundation, which operates a facility housing exotic animals in the Butte Valley area of Butte County.
The violations were documented between November of 2011 and August of 2014. They include several safety violations including an incident during which staff allowed a photo shoot with unrestrained lions and cubs; allowing direct contact between visitors and a juvenile bear; inadequate veterinary care; and exposing animals to extreme heat during the valley summer.
Brittany Peet, a spokeswoman for the animal rights group PETA, urged the facility relocate its animals to better managed facilities.
“No amount of money can make up for the pain and neglect that has been suffered by countless animals at this roadside zoo,” Peet said.
The Kirshner Wildlife Foundation said it strongly disputes the findings, but fighting them would be prohibitively expensive. In a retort sent to federal officials, the foundation downplayed the complaints as unfair allegations made by disgruntled former volunteers.
In her response, Executive Director Roberta Kirshner said the photo shoot involved a volunteer, not visitors, and that the lion was elderly and the cubs very young. She said the bear was 14 weeks old and not unmanageable.