SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Federal inspections at Puerto Rico’s only zoo have found animals sacrificed inhumanely or for unclear reasons, inadequate veterinary care and a string of other problems.
The documents obtained by The Associated Press showed inspectors accusing one former zoo veterinarian of covering up animal deaths. They also say the facility at one point was running with only a part-time vet and using expired medicines.
The Dr. Juan A. Rivero Zoo has been closed since Hurricane Irma in 2017 and animal rights activists say they’re worried about the state of the animals and haven’t been allowed to see them.
The zoo’s administration has acknowledged it’s been operating on a much smaller budget than needed.
The documents were released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture following a Freedom of Information Act request.
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