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Dozens of Animals Taken From Virginia Roadside Zoo as Part of Investigation

Court documents show that over 100 animals – both living and dead – have been taken from a roadside zoo in western Virginia

NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. (AP) — Over 100 animals –- both living and dead -– have been taken from a roadside zoo in western Virginia, according to court documents, as part of what state authorities are calling a criminal investigation.

One search warrant executed Wednesday at the Natural Bridge Zoo in Rockbridge County shows that 89 living animals were seized, while another 28 deceased animals were removed, The Roanoke Times reported.

The office of Attorney General Jason Miyares is conducting the investigation, with help from the Virginia State Police. The warrant said that it had been issued in relation to the care of and cruelty to animals.

The attorney general’s “Animal Law Unit offers support and prosecution of animal cruelty cases upon request of a local Commonwealth’s Attorney or law enforcement agency,” Miyares spokesperson Victoria LaCivita said in an email Friday. “Because this is an ongoing criminal investigation, we cannot comment further.”

LaCivita did confirm that one of the dead animals taken was a tiger that had to be euthanized with consent of the owners to humanely end its suffering. Other live animals that were taken away included lemurs, macaws, pythons and llamas, according to the warrant, filed Friday in the county’s circuit court. Many crates and animal carriers were taken into the zoo.

A phone call to Natural Zoo Bridge went unanswered Saturday, and there was no immediate response to an email seeking comment. The zoo has already been closed for the winter.

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Mario Williams, an attorney for the zoo’s owner, questioned the probe, telling WDBJ-TV earlier in the week that the zoo would seek to halt any permanent seizure of the animals, which he said would be unconstitutional.

Copyright 2023 The  Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Dozens of animals — living and dead — taken from virginia roadside zoo in cruelty probe.

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Over 100 animals –- both living and dead -– have been taken from a roadside zoo in western Virginia, according to court documents, as part of what state authorities are calling a criminal investigation.

One search warrant executed Wednesday at the Natural Bridge Zoo in Rockbridge County shows that 89 living animals were seized, while another 28 deceased animals were removed, The Roanoke Times reported.

The office of Attorney General Jason Miyares is conducting the investigation, with help from the Virginia State Police.

The warrant said that it had been issued in relation to the care of and cruelty to animals.

The attorney general’s “Animal Law Unit offers support and prosecution of animal cruelty cases upon request of a local Commonwealth’s Attorney or law enforcement agency,” Miyares spokesperson Victoria LaCivita said in an email Friday. “Because this is an ongoing criminal investigation, we cannot comment further.”

LaCivita did confirm that one of the dead animals taken was a tiger that had to be euthanized with consent of the owners to humanely end its suffering.

Other live animals that were taken away included lemurs, macaws, pythons and llamas, according to the warrant, filed Friday in the county’s circuit court.

Many crates and animal carriers were taken into the zoo.

A phone call to Natural Zoo Bridge went unanswered Saturday, and there was no immediate response to an email seeking comment.

The zoo has already been closed for the winter.

Mario Williams, an attorney for the zoo’s owner, questioned the probe, telling WDBJ-TV earlier in the week that the zoo would seek to halt any permanent seizure of the animals, which he said would be unconstitutional.

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Criminal investigation underway at Natural Bridge Zoo for claims of animal cruelty

ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) - Investigators served a search warrant Wednesday morning at the Natural Bridge Zoo in Rockbridge County. Virginia State Police are continuing to search the Natural Bridge Zoo in a case of alleged animal cruelty.

The owner of the zoo was not allowed on the property. However, her attorney said they want justification for the search and solid evidence.

It was a bizarre sight at the Natural Bridge Zoo as crime scene tape was wrapped around the property Wednesday morning. There are still many unanswered questions about why the investigation was instigated, but here’s what we know so far.

Virginia State Police assisted the Office of the Attorney General with issuing a search warrant at the zoo in Rockbridge County. Investigators and veterinarians combed through the zoo with clipboards in hand. As of Wednesday afternoon, the cause for the investigative search has not been released.

WDBJ7 reached out to the attorney general for comment, and received this statement:

We spoke with the zoo owner’s attorney, Mario Williams, who said they want to see concrete evidence that led to the search.

“We’re going to challenge the criminal charges, one by one, show us where the neglect was, you got to show us all this stuff. You know, you just can’t run around saying stuff. And without any proof really,” said Williams.

In 2019, the USDA issued Natural Bridge Zoo over 150 citations for handling animals, sanitation, and housing facilities.

Several animal transportation cars were outside the zoo Wednesday and while we didn’t see any taken away, Williams said it’s likely to happen. Williams said if the animals are seized, they will go through the appeals courts, and will likely be litigating this case for years.

Copyright 2023 WDBJ. All rights reserved.

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‘Tiger King’ star ‘Doc’ Antle convicted of wildlife trafficking in Virginia

FILE - This image provided by the Horry County Sheriff’s Office in Conway, S.C., shows Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, wild animal trainer featured in the popular Netflix series “Tiger King”, who has been convicted of wildlife trafficking in Virginia, the attorney general’s office announced Tuesday, June 20, 2023. Antle was accused of illegally buying endangered lion cubs in Frederick County, Va., for display and profit at his South Carolina zoo,. (Horry County Sheriff’s Office via AP)

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WINCHESTER, Va. (AP) — A wild animal trainer featured in the popular Netflix series “Tiger King” has been convicted of wildlife trafficking in Virginia, the attorney general’s office announced Tuesday.

Bhagavan “Doc” Antle was accused of illegally buying endangered lion cubs in Frederick County, Virginia, for display and profit at his South Carolina zoo, Attorney General Jason Miyares said in a news release . A jury convicted Antle on Friday of two felony counts each of wildlife trafficking and conspiring to wildlife traffic.

Antle, who owns the Myrtle Beach Safari, appeared in “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness,” a Netflix documentary miniseries that focused on tiger breeders.

The jury acquitted Antle of five counts of animal cruelty and Judge Alexander Iden dismissed four additional animal cruelty charges against Antle and all charges against his two adult daughters, The Winchester Star reported .

Prosecutor Michelle Welch said Myrtle Beach Safari’s lucrative petting zoo motivated Antle to maintain a steady supply of immature lion cubs that he purchased from Wilson’s Wild Animal Park near Winchester, calling the arrangement a “cub pipeline” from Virginia to South Carolina.

When Antle and Keith Wilson, the park’s former owner, began doing business in 2015, it was still legal to buy and sell lions, Welch said. But after lions were designated as an endangered species in December 2015, lions could only be traded between zoos and wildlife preserves that were part of an established breeding program and had permits. There were three illegal cub exchanges in 2017, 2018 and 2019, Welch said.

Antle was indicted in 2020 on several offenses including felony counts of wildlife trafficking and conspiracy. In August 2019, 119 animals — including lions, tigers, bears, camels, goats and water buffalo — were seized from Wilson’s roadside zoo after a judge found that Wilson “cruelly treated, neglected, or deprived” the animals of adequate care.

Wilson testified that Antle paid him in advance under the guise of a donation. He said Antle paid $2,500 to $3,000 per cub with the exception of the 2017 transaction when Antle traded three lynx kittens for three lion cubs.

Wilson is charged with nine misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and 10 felony counts of selling an endangered species and a hearing in his case is scheduled for Friday.

Defense attorney Erin Harrigan called Antle’s prosecution politically motivated in response to a growing public outcry against wild animals being exploited for entertainment purposes.

“This has been an agenda in search of a crime from the beginning of the investigation,” Harrigan said.

Harrigan maintained that the cubs were gifts and Antle sent Wilson donations for an expanded tiger habitat.

“These were not sales,” Harrigan said.

Iden allowed Antle, who faces up to 20 years in prison, to remain free on bond pending sentencing on Sept. 14.

Search warrant executed at Natural Bridge Zoo, PETA points to elephant's treatment

This story is part of our ongoing coverage of The Natural Bridge Zoo's legal problems starting with a Dec. 6, 2023 search warrant. To catch up from the beginning, click here .

LEXINGTON – A search warrant has been executed at the Natural Bridge Zoo, and the zoo’s opponents are celebrating. 

The Virginia State Police confirmed in an email to The News Leader that “an investigative search warrant” was executed on the Natural Bridge Zoo in Rockbridge County. As of 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, no further information had been released by the state police, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares’s office, or the zoo itself.

Although the reason for the search warrant is currently unconfirmed by the state police or attorney general’s office, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) issued a statement, thanking them “for executing an investigative search warrant at the Natural Bridge Zoo." They hope “this will bring much needed relief to the 40-year-old solitary elephant, Asha, and other long neglected animals held there.”

According to PETA and the zoo's social media, Asha is an African Elephant owned by the Natural Bridge Zoo and is central to PETA’s press release concerning the search warrant. 

PETA’s Senior Vice President of Cruelty Investigations, Daphna Nachminovitch, explained that “though female elephants are highly social family animals who spend their entire lives together, Natural Bridge Zoo has kept Asha all alone – on a small patch of barren ground and chained at night in a barn – since 2005. She is the last solitary African elephant in North America exploited in such a facility for rides, during which her handler carries a heavy steel-tipped weapon resembling a fireplace poker, known as a bullhook, as a reminder of the pain he will inflict on her if she doesn’t obey his every command. For years, Asha has swayed and bobbed her head, recognized signs of loneliness, boredom, and stress.”

According to the Virginia Secretary of State’s office, the Natural Bridge Zoo’s Registered Agent is Deborah Mogensen. Previous News Leader writing notes Karl Mogensen owns the zoo. 

PETA keeps an 11-page fact sheet on the Natural Bridge Zoo , with alleged incidents going back to October 1994. Included is reporting from the Roanoke Times, stating the Natural Bridge Zoo faced an inquiry by the Virginia attorney general’s office in 2015 due to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s report finding “31 violations of federal regulations, ranging from mistreatment of animals to more technical infractions that involved record-keeping.” Reporting from WSET in 2016 noted the USDA found more violations surrounding Asha and the other animals. 

Information provided by PETA also pointed to a 2019 settlement with the USDA, costing the zoo over $40,000. The zoo allegedly failed “to properly euthanize a sick guinea pig, but instead forcefully threw the animal to the ground in an effort to end its life,” and failed “to have an elephant under the direct control of the animal handler during public exhibition," allowing “members of the public to ride, take photos with, and feed the elephant without the handler always nearby.”

According to the Natural Bridge Zoo website, African elephant rides were tentatively available on Thursdays and Fridays for $15 per participant, then on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays for $20 per participant. 

“On this adventure ride you’re going to feel the gait of an elephant’s walk while appreciating a lofty perspective,” reads the website. “We are one of the few zoos in the United States to offer an African elephant ride with an opportunity for hands-on interaction.”

The park closed for the season Nov. 27, according to its social media, and planned to reopen in March 2024. As of press time, there is no indication if this plan will change as a result of the search warrant. 

According to the Natural Bridge Zoo website, it opened in 1972 and “has never accepted any sort of federal, state or local funding.”

“The main purpose for Natural Bridge Zoo has always been the propagation and rearing of threatened or endangered species. … Many uninformed, but well meaning people, believe that all exotic animals belong free in their natural habitat. What they don’t realize is that in many instances, the wild habitat has been degraded due to lumbering, poaching, agriculture, and human encroachment. We, at the Natural Bridge Zoo, have been breeding threatened and endangered species for over 50 years.”

In 2017, in response to being asked if the zoo was cited or under investigation by the USDA for improper care of their elephant, the social media manager responded “every USDA inspection conduct passed flawlessly, most recent one (less then a month ago). The care and upkeep of our elephant all three USDA inspectors that have veterinarians degrees were more then impressed. [sic]" However, the writer goes on to say "a malicious agenda brought forth by the Humane Society of the United States, resulted in an investigation conducted by the USDA. All topics of concern have been addressed, and the park was brought into compliance with USDA regulations.”

The comments continued on to directly attack PETA, saying “we are happy to answer any questions brought forth in a polite and civil matter, but not the one's [sic] that falsely accuse us with out right [sic] slanderous lies. … [A video cited in news reports] was filmed by PETA, other Animals Rights Extremist Group to further their agenda as well. … These are the instigators, the trouble makers, that start rumors regarding the care that we give to the animals at our facility. Our staff works tirelessly, day in and day out to provide a safe and loving environment for all these animals.”

Even The News Leader’s own editorial board called for the zoo to be closed in 2015, writing “Nothing Mogensen has said inspires confidence that he can and will make Natural Bridge a safe place for animals. He allowed the abuse and neglect to occur before January and still had gross violations in March. Enough already. Permanently shut down Natural Bridge Zoo. Find good homes for the animals who suffer there.”

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Virginia Zoo Faces Animal Cruelty Probe as Over 100 Animals Rescued

A harrowing situation unfolded at the Natural Bridge Zoo in Virginia, where authorities have intervened in a case of alarming animal cruelty.

Following thorough investigations and searches, over 100 animals, both living and deceased, were seized by law enforcement in response to suspected abuse and neglect, reports the New York Daily News.

Shocking Discoveries

The extent of neglect at the zoo is deeply disturbing. Investigators found animals living in squalid conditions, with insufficient food and water.

The enclosures were described as “filthy,” and many animals exhibited health issues due to the neglectful environment.

Among the living, 89 animals were rescued, including llamas, lemurs, macaws, and pythons, while 27 were found dead, The Daily Mail reports.

The Zoo’s Defense

Despite the overwhelming evidence, the zoo’s owners, Debbie and Karl Mogensen, through their attorney, Mario Williams, vehemently deny the allegations, reports WSET. They argue that the legal action is unfair and an abuse of authority. Williams asserts that each charge will be rigorously contested, demanding concrete proof of the alleged neglect.

Inside the Investigation

The investigation into the zoo was significantly propelled by an employee-turned-informant who reported extensive mistreatment of animals, reports WSLS. This included an elephant named Asha, who was allegedly kept in chains, subjected to cold baths, and repeatedly jabbed by her caretaker.

The informant’s testimony provided crucial insights into the systemic abuse within the zoo, leading to immediate legal action.

Legal Proceedings and Public Outcry

The case has attracted widespread attention, with the public and animal rights activists calling for justice and better standards of animal welfare. As WDBJ reports, the upcoming court hearing will be a pivotal moment in determining the future of the animals and the fate of the zoo.

Broader Implications

This incident raises critical questions about the regulation and oversight of private zoos and animal care facilities. It perhaps points out the need for stricter enforcement of animal welfare laws and greater public awareness about the conditions in which some captive animals live.

What you can do

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This article by Matthew Russell was first published by The Animal Rescue Site. Lead Image: The mortality rate for animals, particularly exotic species, can be higher in roadside zoos due to poor living conditions. PHOTO: PEXELS.

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Community reacts to natural bridge zoo raid, investigation, during the investigation, 95 animals were seized, both alive and dead.

Amy Cockerham , Multimedia Journalist

NATURAL BRIDGE, Va. – Allegations of animal abuse are the basis of a two-day search by Virginia State Police and the Attorney General’s office at Natural Bridge Zoo, according to court documents.

Search warrants show 95 animals were seized, both alive and dead. Parts of animals, like giraffe legs, and a zebra pelt, were seized as well.

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Mark Cline owns and operates a business just across the road from the zoo, Dinosaur Kingdom II.

“I’ve known these people for 40 years and never seen any signs of abuse,” Cline said. “Groups like PETA, they have problems with people that fish, you’re hurting a fish because you got a hook in its lip. So you’ve got to understand it could be a standard that these people are, and these people might be taking care of their animals, but it might not agree with a certain group’s standard.”

[WATCH: Raw interview with Natural Bridge Zoo owner’s daughter, Gretchen Mogensen]

Lexington resident Hannah Hughes said she’s lived in the area for more than a decade but always steered clear of the zoo.

“I’ve heard rumors about the quality of kind of the animal care there, so it doesn’t really surprise me too much,” Hughes said. “But, it’s just shocking to hear how badly treated the animals were.”

The Humane Society of the United States was part of a previous undercover investigation at the zoo in 2014. They said that resulted in a $41,500 USDA fine. They’re thanking authorities for their recent investigation.

Debbie Leahy, senior strategist of Captive Wildlife for the Humane Society of the United States, released the following statement:

“We are thankful that Virginia’s Attorney General Animal Law Unit appears to be investigating Natural Bridge Zoo. We have been following this zoo very closely for many years. Our 114 day 2014 undercover investigation at the facility showed horrendous cruelty and extreme neglect to the animals. The neglect was rampant and impacted animals ranging from giraffes and tiger cubs to primates and guinea pigs. There was a great deal of suffering and death from a lack of veterinary care, crowded conditions and reckless practices. Our investigation showed tiger cubs handled by up to 140 people daily, were fed a cheap, nutritionally deficient diet and kept hungry so that the starving cubs could be easily controlled while being bottle-fed by the public. The cubs were never examined by a veterinarian, even when they suffered from chronic diarrhea and a fecal test that revealed they were infected with coccidia and giardia. Our investigation ultimately resulted in a $41,500 USDA fine. Justice for these animals is long overdue and this pitiful roadside zoo needs to be recognized for what it really is – profit in exchange for the inhumane treatment of animals and a constant public safety risk.” Debbie Leahy, senior strategist of Captive Wildlife for the Humane Society of the United States

Zoo staff are scheduled to appear in court on December 20.

Watch the Humane Society of United States video by clicking here .

See more coverage below:

• Original story: Search at Natural Bridge Zoo in Rockbridge County
• Tiger euthanized, 95 animals seized during search at Natural Bridge Zoo
• Animal Legal Defense Fund weighs in on roadside zoo controversy
• GALLERY: Zeus, tiger euthanized during Natural Bridge Zoo investigation
• WATCH: Raw interview with Natural Bridge Zoo owner’s daughter, Gretchen Mogensen
• COURT DOCUMENTS: Findings of Natural Bridge Zoo raid

Copyright 2023 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved.

About the Author

Amy cockerham.

Amy Cockerham joined the 10 News team in January 2023.

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Virginia Today : Apr 14, 2024

Proposed budget mont. co., lynchburg shooting, 10 news @ 11 : apr 13, 2024, thousands attend run for remembrance at virginia tech.

Mogensen Zoos

Karl mogensen, eric mogensen and meghan mogensen.

This family appears to run a number of roadside zoos, including

Virginia Safari Park

Virginia Safari Park was sued by USDA in 2015

Gulf Breeze Zoo

See lawsuit against Virginia Safari Park, which includes mention of Gulf Breeze Zoo.

Natural Bridge Zoo

https://911animalabuse.com/images/USDAViolations/2007NaturalBridgeZooKarlMogenson.pdf

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Which small D.C.-area zoos have put people and animals at risk

More than 80 animals have died or suffered serious illness or injury because of neglect or mishandling over the past decade at 10 small zoos in Maryland and Virginia, according to federal inspection reports. Most of the problems were at six zoos, but four others had relatively minor violations.

U. S. Department of Agriculture inspectors cited regional zoos in more than 200 other instances for allegedly failing to give animals adequate water, food or shelter and allowing them to live in filth, cramped cages or darkness. Safety problems at some zoos placed visitors and workers at risk. Zoos were cited for animal attacks and escapes and for failing to provide adequate enclosures to keep the public safe from dangerous animals. Read related article .

There were 126 incidents at All zoos Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo Clark's Elioak Farm Leesburg Animal Park Luray Zoo Natural Bridge Zoo Nature's Promise Animal Sanctuary Plumpton Park Zoo Reston Zoo Tri-State Zoo Virginia Safari Park

Select an animal to read an excerpt from the USDA citation report.

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Doc Antle of ‘Tiger King’ Is Convicted on Wildlife Trafficking Charges

Bhagavan Antle, who was found guilty on four felony counts, will be sentenced in September. He was cleared of the misdemeanor animal cruelty charges that he faced.

By Orlando Mayorquin

The owner of an animal park in South Carolina who was featured on the popular Netflix documentary “Tiger King” was convicted in Virginia last week on wildlife trafficking charges, state prosecutors announced.

Bhagavan Antle, better known as Doc Antle, was charged in October 2020 with illegally purchasing endangered lion cubs in Virginia for display at the park, Myrtle Beach Safari, along with nine misdemeanor animal cruelty charges. A Virginia jury convicted him on Friday of two felony counts of wildlife trafficking and two felony counts of conspiring to wildlife traffic, prosecutors said. Mr. Antle was cleared of all the misdemeanor charges he faced.

Each felony count is punishable by a maximum of five years imprisonment, according to state law . Mr. Antle is to be sentenced on Sept. 14.

Mr. Antle’s daughters Tawny Antle and Tilakam Watterson, who also faced misdemeanor animal cruelty charges, were cleared of all counts.

Mr. Antle made frequent appearances on “Tiger King,” the 2020 hit series that offered Americans quarantined during the pandemic an intimate look into the underbelly of the “big cat” trade in the United States.

The show’s eccentric star, Joseph Maldonado-Passage, known as Joe Exotic, is serving a 21-year sentence in federal prison for a murder-for-hire plot that targeted Carole Baskin, an animal-rights activist. She criticized Mr. Maldonado-Passage’s treatment of animals at his Oklahoma zoo and appeared on the Netflix show.

Mr. Antle, who is currently facing money laundering charges in a separate federal court case in South Carolina, denied “any act or conduct that could ever be considered as ‘animal cruelty,’” in a statement when the charges in Virginia were announced in 2020.

Jason Miyares, the state attorney general, said in a news release that the jury’s decision “sent a message that Virginia does not tolerate wildlife animal trafficking.”

Virginia law allows the trade of endangered wildlife, which includes lions, “for zoological, educational, or scientific purposes,” and for “preservation purposes,” only with special permission from a state board.

Mr. Antle’s lawyer, Erin Harrigan, called the jury’s decision not to convict Mr. Antle on the misdemeanor charges “a significant victory against spurious allegations of animal cruelty.” Ms. Harrigan said the felony offenses on which her client was convicted “amount to failing to obtain a permit for otherwise entirely lawful activity,” calling them “paperwork violations.”

The attorney general’s office, then headed by Mark R. Herring, charged Mr. Antle in 2020 following a monthslong investigation into Mr. Antle’s ties with a Virginia-based zoo owner, Keith A. Wilson, who was also indicted on wildlife trafficking charges.

An online court database showed on Wednesday that Mr. Wilson’s case was still open.

Zoo Director Convicted of Animal Cruelty

Former reston zoo boss gets 30 days jail, published september 29, 2012 • updated on september 29, 2012 at 11:49 am.

The former director of the Reston Zoo was convicted of animal cruelty and sentenced to 30 days in jail Friday after a former curator testified that she had drowned an injured wallaby in a plastic bucket.

According to The Washington Post , the keeper, Ashley Rood, confronted the director, 26-year-old Meghan Mogensen, after Rood discovered the wallaby's body in a trash bag. Rood testified that she told Mogensen, "I think you and your father are sick and sadistic people, and I don't want to be part of this anymore."

Mogensen's father, Eric Mogensen, owns the Reston Zoo, as well as Virginia Safari Park in Natural Bridge and Gulf Breeze Zoo in Florida. The Reston Zoo has been written up several times for care violations in the past, most recently in a USDA inspection report dated in February of this year.

During Mogensen's trial, Rood testified that some animals at the zoo were euthanized by shooting, while rabbits were slammed into walls and chickens were fed to pythons.

In the case of the wallaby, Mogensen claimed that she had injected the animal with a euthanasia drug. A necropsy found no evidence of the drug in the wallaby's system. Investigators also found two different euthanasia reports on Mogensen's computer, while her search history revealed that she had Googled whether drowning an animal constituted animal cruelty in Virginia.

Mogensen's attorney, Caleb Kershner, said that the conviction will be appealed.

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