The pinnacle caretaker of Lengthy Island’s largest and most controversial zoo lashed out at city officers about newly revealed plans to shut the sanctuary after years of animal abuse allegations.
Holtsville Ecology Heart zoo caretaker Kristin Layer misplaced it on Brookhaven city officers — blaming the looming closure of the taxpayer-funded spot on politics and “Crookhaven” authorities corruption.
“The REAL REASON for the ‘closure’ is due to ‘price range cuts’ YET our city [leaders] gave themselves over $30,000 raises this 12 months INCLUDING [Town Supervisor] Dan Panico,” Layer stated in a weird Instagram rant.
“They’re simply making an attempt to cowl that truth up for all us tax paying residents in try and make themselves look higher and put the blame on the employees & employees,” she stated.
Layer couldn’t be reached for remark.
City data present that the free-to-access zoo operated at a yearly loss, and its closure is projected to avoid wasting greater than $2 million yearly, whereas the 2026 price range does increase elected representatives’ salaries by roughly $30,000 whole — or raises of about $3,000 to $4,000 per official.
However Brookhaven defended the raises — and fired again on the fuming caretaker.
“This gradual closure has NOTHING to do with politics, it’s solely about BUDGET CONSTRAINTS,” Brookhaven city spokesperson Drew Scott informed The Put up.
“We don’t have to be within the zoo enterprise any longer,” he stated, including that the bumps in pay for officers are “solely smaller will increase to maintain up with inflation and the price of dwelling.”
The refuge, which opened in 1979 on a reclaimed landfill, has lengthy been tormented by accusations of animal mistreatment.
The zoo allegedly misplaced a bald eagle, let a mountain lion drown, carried out surgical procedure on a rooster with out anesthesia, sources stated.
Animal advocates celebrated the zoo’s closure, which was introduced Monday, however blasted the city’s relocation plan as “completely unacceptable.” They declare Brookhaven officers turned down free assist from animal rights organizations to relocate the zoo’s roughly 100 animals and are as a substitute planning to ship them to different problematic spots.
“We are able to transfer most of the animals out instantly, give them veterinary consideration, and place them in sanctuaries the place they will reside wholesome, pure lives — all without charge to the city,” Humane Lengthy Island President John Di Leonardo stated of the supply to the city.
However Scott stated the city has no plans on working with Di Leonardo or his group, and as a substitute revealed the city has been in talks with Quogue Wildlife Refuge, Sweetbriar Nature Heart and Hoyt Farms in regards to the relocation of the animals — areas that critics declare include the identical points as Holtsville.
“The City failed these animals for many years,” Di Leonardo stated. “It wants to do that proper and place the animals at respected sanctuaries the place they will get the specialised care they should reside extra pure lives, reasonably than dumping them at different subpar services the place they are going to proceed to undergo.”
