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Despite PETA’s fierce efforts to get Bosco the bear and Sissy the cougar to a reputable sanctuary, we have learned that they died at Pymatuning Deer Park, a roadside zoo in Jamestown, Pennsylvania. PETA mourns the deaths of these individuals who will never know sanctuary life. We’ll never stop fighting on behalf of the surviving animals at Pymatuning, and you can help!
Original post:
After PETA and the Animal Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit in 2021 against Pymatuning Deer Park and its owner, alleging that the roadside zoo’s mistreatment of lions, tigers, lemurs, and other protected animals violates the Endangered Species Act and constitutes a public nuisance under state law, the notorious roadside zoo retired eight animals in its custody—including birds, lemurs, and three big cats—to an accredited sanctuary. But many animals still remain at this deplorable tourist trap.
Bosco and his female companion suffered for years in a cramped concrete pit. In 2015, PETA first witnessed the female bear struggling to walk and alerted the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to her condition. The agency inspected and cited Pymatuning for allowing her to suffer in pain without notifying a veterinarian and for confining the bears to a concrete pit where they were deprived of the opportunity to engage in normal behavior such as swimming, climbing, and digging. Despite this, Pymatuning continued to keep both bears in the archaic concrete pit, even after Bosco started showing signs of arthritis. Both bears are now dead. PETA repeatedly offered to arrange for Bosco’s transfer to an accredited sanctuary, but the owner refused to do what was right.
It wasn’t until PETA and the Animal Legal Defense Fund sued Pymatuning that Bosco was shifted to one of the facility’s now-vacated big-cat enclosures. Although he was able to spend the last year of his life finally free from the barren concrete pit, he shouldn’t have had to suffer at the hands of this exploitative exhibitor. Pymatuning has a long history of violating the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA). In 2016, it was slapped with a warning—a rare enforcement action—for more than a dozen alleged violations of the AWA. The facility has been repeatedly cited for failing to provide animals with veterinary care. It has also been cited for failing to clean enclosures with a buildup of feces and old food and failing to clean water receptacles covered with algae.
You can help the remaining animals! Urge Pymatuning to close its doors permanently and send the animals to reputable facilities:
- Post polite comments on Pymatuning’s Facebook page.
- Call the roadside zoo at 724-932-3200.
- Fill out the form below to send an e-mail to the owners.