U.S. Humane Society wants investigation into West Des Moines zoo

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — The Humane Society of the United States is raising new concerns about a West Des Moines zoo after an animal caretaker was injured on the job.

According to the Blue Zoo Aquarium, a Bamboo shark bit an animal caretaker on the hand on Monday. Medics treated the victim and the caretaker was released without requiring stitches, said a zoo spokesperson. The shark was euthanized.

However, it is not the the first animal death at the facility since it opened two months ago.

An inspection report on the United States Department of Agriculture’s website from May 31, 2024 outlines the death of a parakeet that was crushed after it was stepped on by a child leaving an interactive exhibit. The reported incident happened on May 22, shortly after the facility opened. The inspector gave the facility until June 6 to take action to fix the issue and protect the birds by installing “barriers between the birds and the general viewing public to assure the safety of animals.”

Preston Moore, the Iowa State Director of the Humane Society of the U.S., is calling for the facility to be shut down.

“We are calling for the city of West Des Moines to take steps to close this business and to prevent future businesses like it from opening,” Moore said. “We’re also calling for the West Des Moines Police Department to open an animal neglect and animal abuse investigation based on the reports that we’re hearing about animals not receiving the care they need and being trampled to death at this facility.”

In a written response to questions, a corporate spokesperson with Blue Zoo Aquarium said the shark was the first animal that had to be euthanized at the West Des Moines location. However, they did not respond when asked how many animals had died since they opened in May.

“While we understand the concern, this is an isolated incident that we are addressing. We are implementing procedures and policies to ensure this does not happen in the future,” wrote the spokesperson.

As WHO 13 previously reported, the Blue Zoo Aquarium lacks AZA accreditation , a label only 10 percent of zoos across the nation hold. The business has multiple locations throughout the U.S. and is owned by a group of investors under the name Tiger Family Entertainment, registered in Eagle, Idaho.

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