Fort Worth police open investigation into claims of animal deaths at SeaQuest aquarium

The Fort Worth Police Department has opened an investigation into claims of animal cruelty and neglect at SeaQuest aquarium .

The investigation comes in response to whistleblower accounts of the deaths of dozens of marine animals, including sharks that starved to death and dozens of other animals that likely suffocated in plastic bags during transport from another SeaQuest aquarium.

Citing the three former aquarium employees’ accounts, the animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a letter to Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney Phil Sorrells requesting his office conduct an investigation.

A District Attorney’s Office spokesperson told the Star-Telegram the office forwarded PETA’s information to the police department. A police department spokesperson confirmed the investigation, but could not provide any details.

The former employees told PETA that two sharks starved to death after they stopped eating due to the stress of being housed in an overcrowded tank. Dozens of other marine animals also likely died of suffocation in plastic bags in a U-Haul truck.

PETA shared links to a video of a shark convulsing on the day it allegedly died and another of SeaQuest employees allegedly finding the suffocated fish in plastic bags .

PETA said it notified Fort Worth Animal Control in June of the allegations, but that the department had denied responsibility in the matter, saying that the aquarium’s animals are owned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Animal Control did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

“Contrary to Animal Control’s unfounded claim, the FDA is not running a roadside zoo in a shopping mall in Fort Worth Texas,” PETA said in its letter to Sorrells. “There is no legal basis for Animal Control to turn a blind eye to the animal suffering at SeaQuest Fort Worth.”