Lengthy Island’s largest and most controversial zoo is ready to shut its doorways and ship all its animals off to rescue amenities, because the sanctuary prepares to “wind down” by early subsequent 12 months, officers confirmed Monday.
The Holtsville Ecology Heart’s zoo, a Suffolk County taxpayer-funded animal refuge riddled with horrific abuse allegations, will lastly be phased out after greater than 40 years in operation as Brookhaven city officers look to chop prices and shift focus and funding.
“The operations on the Holtsville sanctuary are going to wind down,” Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico revealed at a particular city assembly Monday.
“I imagine society’s view adjustments over time, and so should the view of this city, particularly if we’re going to ship on the promise of efficient and environment friendly operations of city authorities — it’s up to now out of the scope of what the city authorities ought to be doing, particularly in these budgetary occasions,” Panico added.
City leaders mentioned there isn’t any official time limit in the meanwhile, however they’re aiming to empty and shut the zoo by the top of March 2026 and relocate every animal to numerous “SPCA authorized and accredited” rescue amenities.
“This isn’t going to be a mad sprint,” Panico mentioned, detailing that funding for the roadside sanctuary stays intact by means of the primary quarter of subsequent 12 months.
“We’re going to do that methodically, with the utmost care to make sure the animals go to a spot they need to be to dwell out their days, and we are going to proceed to focus on core features of city authorities.”
Having opened its doorways in 1979 on a reclaimed landfill, the Holtsville zoo grew into probably the most distinguished free sights throughout Lengthy Island — drawing households from throughout Suffolk and neighboring counties.
The refuge homes roughly 100 animals, a majority of which have been rescued or donated and might’t survive within the wild on their very own anymore, starting from bald eagles and bobcats to buffalo and farm livestock that patrons are allowed to feed and pet.
However the zoo has additionally confronted mounting criticism lately for its therapy of its animals, together with letting a mountain lion drown, chopping staph infections out of Larry the rooster’s ft with out anesthesia, ignoring Honey the bear’s rotting enamel as she wasted away in a tiny enclosure, whereas additionally spraying her with a high-powered hose, and failing to deal with Nessy the Peking duck’s lead poisoning, based on sources accustomed to the matter.
Animal advocates have lengthy argued the city lacked the veterinary experience and sources to correctly take care of such a variety of species, and hailed Monday’s announcement as lengthy overdue.
“That is the one determination made that was proper by the animals,” John Di Leonardo, govt director of Humane Lengthy Island, informed The Publish.
Di Leonardo praised the transfer as each a win for animal welfare and for taxpayers.
“We hoped for this — it’ll save taxpayers over 1,000,000 {dollars} a 12 months. Now, it’s a matter of creating certain they don’t go to a different facility like this,” he mentioned.
However Jennifer Ramos, who lives close to the zoo, mentioned she was “devastated” by its closing and doesn’t thoughts her tax {dollars} being spent on the sanctuary.
“It’s very unhappy, I take my grandkids right here the entire time they usually like it, but when they’re mistreating the animals, they have to go. The entire level of that place is to handle animals that may’t handle themselves,” Ramos mentioned, beforehand unaware of the allegations in opposition to the zoo.
“I wish to see the city usher in an outdoor group who truly is aware of what it’s doing and run it proper, somewhat than shut it solely,” she added.
Panico, nevertheless, mentioned closing the not-for-profit sanctuary is the one fiscally accountable selection transferring ahead for the municipality.
“The freeway superintendent inherited this operation, as did each member of this board,” he mentioned. “We do land use, zoning, planning, parks, open area, pave the roads, choose up the rubbish — that’s what city authorities is meant to be targeted on.”
