In our Reality Check stories, Idaho Statesman journalists seek to hold the powerful accountable and find answers to critical questions in our community. Read more. Story idea? Tips@idahostatesman.com.
An animal attraction at the Western Idaho Fair near Boise closed and will be replaced with a different attraction after fair officials were made aware that its federal license had expired.
Otter Adventure, which billed itself on Facebook as a “water show that is educational and fun for all ages,” was operating without the necessary license to comply with the Animal Welfare Act, a federal law that regulates the care of exotic animals, according to inspection reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Idaho Statesman reported on the violation Thursday.
Western Idaho Fair Director Bob Batista told the Statesman on Thursday evening that the otter exhibit is now closed and will be replaced with a different attraction.
“While the exhibit met Idaho state requirements, Otter Adventures did not disclose that their USDA license had expired,” Batista said in an email. “Once discovered, Western Idaho Fair made the decision to shut down the exhibit.”
Otter Adventure has held shows daily since the fair opened Aug. 16, according to the fair website’s schedule . It was scheduled to run through the end of the fair on Aug. 25.
The attraction was run by Gregg and Karen Woody, Illinois-based animal exhibitors who hosted two daily shows with five Asian small-clawed otters. The Western Idaho Fair website stated that the otters will be on display “a minimum of 8 hours per day” with breaks to prepare for performances.
Gregg Woody declined to comment on his license status when the Statesman reached him by phone.
Idaho State Department of Agriculture spokesperson Sydney Kennedy told the Statesman the agency does not regulate animal exhibits but was “aware of the otter shipment” for the exhibit. Kennedy said it met state animal import requirements , which mandate a certificate of veterinary inspection for all animals.
Batista earlier on Thursday had emphasized the exhibit’s compliance with Idaho import requirements in response to a request for comment. Asked about the Woodys’ expired USDA exhibit license, Batista said he was “only going by what the Idaho Department of Ag requires.”
Otter exhibit owners said they would continue without license
According to USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services reports, the Woodys’ license to exhibit animals expired in early June. Last month, an inspector visited the Otter Adventure exhibit at a fair in Adel, Iowa, where the Woodys told her the exhibit was operating under a different licensee that was unidentified in the report. The agency later received an email from the unidentified licensee that said Otter Adventure was unauthorized to operate under their license, the July 11 report said.
The inspector noted that the Woodys needed to renew their license before continuing with the exhibit.
“Continuing to conduct regulated activity without a license is a serious violation of the Animal Welfare Act,” she wrote.
In another visit, the same inspector visited the Otter Adventure exhibit at a fair in Cherokee, Iowa, where the otters were being watched by a crowd of people. An employee told the inspector they were unaware of licensing information, the July 24 report said.
The inspector said she spoke with the Woodys by phone the following day. During the call, they stated that they did not have a USDA license and would continue to exhibit animals without one, according to the report.
Both visits were categorized as non-critical compliance violations, according to the USDA’s online inspection report database. The Woodys also had critical compliance violations from March, May and June related to missing records on a dingo, mini cows and zebu, a type of Asian cattle distinguishable by a pronounced hump on its shoulders.
Reports said inspectors requested the paperwork multiple times and were told by Gregg Woody that he “did not have to produce any records if he tells the USDA that he is only using the animals for agricultural activities.” Records must still be produced to confirm that the animals are being used for food, inspectors said. They also said the Woodys were selling the exotic animals at auction, which requires a license.
Inspectors said they told the Woodys that records and licensing were necessary to keep track of exotic animals, ensure regulations were being met and ensure animals are receiving proper care.
The Woodys have USDA animal care violations dating back more than a decade, reports showed . The violations include documentation of a tiger in a too-small cage, a lion cub with leg bowing indicative of malnutrition, an underfed mountain lion and a grizzly bear with a weeping paw wound.
The Woodys are regular recipients of grizzly bears from Yellowstone Bear World, a drive-through wildlife park in Rexburg that has itself been cited for workplace safety violations , according to animal transport records.
Most Popular
Comments / 0