Cedar Point guests released camels and goats into the park earlier this summer, Feds say

It seems park visitors and not clever camels and goats were behind a pair of daring escapes this summer from a petting zoo at Cedar Point.

An inspection report from a visit by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to the Barnyard attraction at the Sandusky amusement park found that the culprits behind the June 11 escape of two camels and a bunch of goats just four days later were park guests.

In both instances, the camels and goats were able to leave the petting zoo area and roam free along the park's Frontier Trail much to the surprise of park guests.

No one was injured in either instance.

Federal investigators say the camels were able to escape from the attraction that had closed for the day because Kentucky-based Honey Hill, which supplies and staffs the attraction, did not maintain adequate public barriers.

Federal inspectors say a similar thing happened while the attraction was open to the public and the goats were able to escape.

"A member of the public was able to enter an animal building and opened a gate allowing the goats access to areas that were not secure for animal containment," the inspection found.

Federal investigators say Honey Hill, which did not return a request for comment, has added "additional security measures" since the two incidents.

The inspection also found that the attraction "did not have an adequate number of readily identifiable employees or attendants present during periods of public contact" during a June 17 inspection.

And a section of woven wire fencing of the attraction was ordered to be repaired that was "in disrepair in an area housing goats, llamas, and alpacas" with "broken wires creating sharp points and an unintended open area in the fence" that could pose a risk for injury and even escape of the animals.

All three issues found in the inspection were found to be "non-critical" items that needed to be addressed.

Cedar Point spokesman Tony Clark said while the attraction is operated by an outside vendor − in this instance Honey Hill − the park has enhanced its 24-hour surveillance of the Barnyard area.

The park also assisted in the repairs to the fencing that was raised in the report.

Clark said the fence in question is actually around equipment − not animals.

PETA ( People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals ) called for a federal investigation of the park's petting zoo area after the two escapes and asked Cedar Point to close it.

“No animal should be confined to a tiny pen where they’re subjected to a constant barrage of human handling and the deafening roar of roller coasters overhead,” said PETA Foundation Senior Director of Captive Animal Welfare Debbie Metzler in a statement.

Honey Hill also supplies animals for similar attractions at other amusement parks including Michigan’s Adventure, Worlds of Fun and Camden Park.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cedar Point guests released camels and goats into the park earlier this summer, Feds say