Jeff Kremer on LinkedIn: #roadsidezoo #captiveconservation #sharkarosazoo #ambassadoranimal… (2025)

Breaking News:“Woman Breaks Into Tiger Enclosure at the Unaccredited Cohanzick Zoo in Bridgeton, New Jersey”Published August 20, 2024The person hopped a fence and 'started enticing' the tiger, said police, who are trying to identify her.According to authorities, a woman climbed over the wooden fence of the tiger exhibit at Cohanzick Zoo in Bridgeton. She then began "enticing the tiger," putting her hand through the wire enclosure inside the wooden fence, according to law enforcement.The unidentified person nearly got bitten, police said.It wasn't immediately clear when the incident occurred. Bridgeton police shared photos and footage of the incident on their Facebook page.Complete Story:https://lnkd.in/gmVNqevn#captiveconservation #CohanzickZoo#roadsidezoo #TheConservationGameMovie

“Former AZA accredited Columbus Zoo CFO sentenced to prison in $2.29M fraud scheme”Dayton Daily NewsPublished August 19, 2024The former chief financial officer from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has been sentenced to prison for his part in a scheme to defraud the zoo of $2.29 million, according to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost in a release.Greg Bell was sentenced to three years in prison, and was ordered to pay $583,697.44 in criminal restitution, the release said, adding that Bell had previously agreed to pay civil restitution.Bell was charged as part of an investigation that found a scheme by zoo executives to use zoo funds for vacations, vehicles, concerts, sporting events and other personal expenses from 2011 to 2021.He was charged along with four other zoo officials, including his son Grant Bell, former zoo marketing director Pete Fingerhut, former zoo purchasing agency Tracy Murnane and former zoo CEO Tom Stalf.In Greg Bell’s sentencing memo, prosecutors commented on the effects of misusing charitable dollars, writing, “When these assets are exploited for the personal benefit of executives and high-ranking employees at a nonprofit, particularly a nonprofit that receives taxpayer money, it erodes the trust that the public has in charitable organizations in the state and frustrates the missions of those organizations.”Complete Story:https://lnkd.in/gCxYgyKJ#columbuszoo #AZA #weareaza #captiveconservation #ZAA #jackhanna #TheConservationGameMovie

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This Bay Area zoo is shutting down its elephant exhibit. Could more California zoos be next?Los Angeles TimesPublished August 14, 2024California may be the most populous state, but it will soon be losing one very big resident.After 20 years living in the Oakland Zoo, the park’s last remaining African elephant, Osh, will be relocated to the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee later this year, the zoo announced in a press release.There is hope that once Osh, a male, arrives at the sanctuary, the 30-year-old pachyderm will reunite with Donna, the zoo’s last remaining female African elephant that was relocated there last year.Complete Story:https://lnkd.in/gWcAr4VRRelated Story:Daily JournalPublished August 15, 2024Oakland Zoo closes elephant exhibit, increasing pressure on Los Angeles Zoo to follow suit:https://lnkd.in/gNd5waAd#captiveconservation #oaklandzoo #losangeleszoo#AZA #weareaza #TheConservationGameMovie

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“Pimping Primates for Profit”“Vince Vaughn Jokes He “Didn’t Get Along” With Primate Co-Star in ‘Bad Monkey’: “I’ll Never Work With That One Again”“Bad Monkey isn’t just the title of Vince Vaughn‘s new Apple TV+ series; the phrase could also apply to his primate scene partner, according to the actor.Crystal the Monkey — who has more than 30 credits to her name, including The Hangover Part II and Night at the Museum — plays the titular monkey in the show, which is adapted from Carl Hiaasen’s 2013 book of the same name.The star continued, “People would warn you about her — ‘Don’t come up from behind her.’ Lot of rules on the set, very uncomfortable. I’d rather be honest with everyone out there than create some facade like we got along — we didn’t get along.”Crystal (born May 6, 1994) is a female tufted capuchin monkey and animal actress, acquired and trained by Birds & Animals Unlimited, Hollywood's largest supplier of animals. Her acting career began as a baby monkey in Disney's 1997 film George of the Jungle. She has portrayed monkey Dexter in the Night at the Museum franchise, a drug-dealing monkey in The Hangover Part II, and pet monkey Bennie in Steven Spielberg's 2022 semi-autobiographical film The Fabelmans. In 2012, she played Dr. Rizzo on the sitcom Animal Practice.”Crystal’s unnatural and exploitative life history:https://lnkd.in/gnMtJGjHIn addition to the unnatural lives that such animals are forced to endure, promoting exotic animals as part of TV series and movies perpetuates the misguided message that exotic animals can or should be domesticated.Related:“Captive Primate Safety Act Would End the Cruel and Dangerous Primate Pet Trade”May 1, 2024Washington, DC—The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) endorses yesterday’s reintroduction of the Captive Primate Safety Act (CPSA), which would end the cruel and dangerous pet primate trade in the United States. Nonhuman primates are highly intelligent and typically social wild animals who suffer enormously when kept as pets. They can also injure or spread disease to the people around them.The “Captive Primate Safety Act” would prohibit the private possession of primates, protecting these sensitive, intelligent animals from exploitation and abuse and strengthen public safety. Additionally, while people who already have primates may keep their animals, they must register them so that first responders and law enforcement officials are aware of their presence.Take Action Here:https://lnkd.in/gh-HGvTtComplete “Bad Monkey” Story:https://lnkd.in/gd5wZSAK#notapet #captiveconservation #exoticanimaltrade #appletv+#badmonkey#vincevaughn

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See Something, Say Something:“Help End the Commercial Trade and Exploitation of Big Cats”Have you witnessed any concerning activities regarding the commercial exploitation of big cats online? Report what you see —change the lives of big cats for the better!Big cats are used in tourist attractions, kept as pets, abused on social media, traded and the list continues. This cycle of abuse needs to end! FOUR PAWS has released an online Big Cat Reporting Tool for you to alert us to the dire situation of these big cats and raise the issue with government officials.Please report what you seeand take comfort in knowing that there are species-appropriate sanctuaries where these animals can live their lives after so much suffering.Complete Story/Reporting Form:https://lnkd.in/gft7fXQ6Additional Wildlife Crime Reporting Tool:Help enforce the “Big Cat Public Safety Act” by reporting suspected incidents to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service via the links below: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service “Wildlife Crime” Tip Line: 1-844-397-8477. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Online “Wildlife Crime” Reporting form offers an easy and efficient way to submit suspected violations:https://lnkd.in/ep6nJWSt#fourpaws #captiveconservation #endangeredspecies #usfws #bcpsa #wildlifetrafficking #TheConservationGameMovie https://lnkd.in/gft7fXQ6

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“Life in the Garden of Captives”“Belfast Zoo (BIAZA/EAZA/WAZA accredited) worker ‘locked in lion enclosure’”Published August 15, 2024A zoo worker was allegedly locked in a lion enclosure last week, prompting Belfast city council to open an investigation.The incident happened when two workers entered the enclosure while the lions were in their den. One worker, believed to be the more experienced of the pair, left the enclosure and locked it, leaving the lions free to roam and their colleague trapped inside. It is not known how long the person was trapped in the enclosure.The council, which owns the zoo, said it was “aware of an incident at the lion enclosure” and that an investigation into the circumstances had been opened.Complete Story:https://lnkd.in/gjbakj3e#captiveconservation #nomorezoos #belfastzoo#waza#EAZA#biaza

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“Take Action: Animals Are Suffering and Dying at Hovatter’s Wildlife Zoo!”Hovatter’s Wildlife Zoo in Kingwood, West Virginia, is a dismal roadside zoo with a history of violating the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA). Chimpanzees have been observed swaying back and forth, an abnormal repetitive behavior indicating psychological distress, while confined to barren enclosures littered with old food and feces. Sadly, Hovatter’s recently acquired a baby chimpanzee named Petunia, who was shipped nearly 900 miles from a shady primate dealer when she was only 10 days old.Hovatter’s has received over 70 citations from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) since 2001, including for failing to provide veterinary care to a tiger with a tail infection, a zebra with overgrown hooves, two hyenas with wounds on their backs, a thin lynx, and an alpaca with overgrown teeth that were inhibiting his ability to eat. A chimpanzee and a snow macaque died within less than a year of each other. Their causes of death were never determined, and they were never examined by a veterinarian. In 2015, the facility was cited for taking three tiger cubs from their mothers the day they were born to be hand-raised and used for photo ops with the public, exposing them to stress and disease.Please urge Hovatter’s Wildlife Zoo to make a plan to send the animals to reputable facilities where they could live in vast, lush habitats and get the care they deserve.Take Action Now:https://lnkd.in/gygWFvys#captiveconservation #roadsidezoo #peta #TheConservationGameMovie

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Life in the Garden of Captives “We are hemorrhaging critical animal care experience which directly affects the standard of care we can provide for our animals”“AZA accredited Woodland Park Zoo workers reach tentative agreement on new contract”Published August 12, 2024The Joint Crafts Council (JCC) Coalition of Unions, representing approximately 200 Woodland Park Zoo employees, has reached a tentative agreement with zoo management on a new contract, according to a statement released by the union on Monday.The agreement, which is fully recommended by the union’s negotiations committee, is now subject to ratification by the union members.The proposed contract follows months of negotiations centered on key issues, including affordable healthcare, equitable wages, and the long-term well-being of the animals.Complete Story:https://lnkd.in/gak3qECfRelated Story:‘We are hemorrhaging:’ Woodland Park Zoo workers prepare to strikePublished August 10, 2024“We are hemorrhaging critical animal care experience which directly affects the standard of care we can provide for our animals,” Allison Cloud, an animal keeper and member of Teamsters 117, said. “The zoo is forcing us to choose between our livelihoods and our animals, a heartbreaking decision no zookeeper ever wants to make.”https://lnkd.in/gz6YawR6#captiveconservation #AZA #weareaza #woodlandparkzoohttps://lnkd.in/gak3qECf

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“The Best & Worst Countries for Animal Welfare Are Difficult to MeasureAn imperfect but important ranking system, explained”Published August 6th, 2024The general concept of animal welfare may seem fairly straightforward. But efforts to measure animal welfare, however, are far more complicated. Attempting to identify the best and worst countries for animal welfare is no easy task, but a close look at the work of several organizations advocating for animal rights gives us an idea of which places treat animals the best —and the worst.Measuring Animal Welfare: No Easy TaskMany things can contribute to or detract from the welfare of any given country’s animals, and there’s no single or unified way of measuring all of them.You could, for instance, compare the total number of animals slaughtered in each country every year. There’s an intuitive appeal to this approach, as slaughtering an animal is the ultimate way of diminishing his or her welfare.But raw death tolls, informative as they are, omit several other important factors. The living conditions of farm animals before they’re slaughtered is a big determinant of their welfare, for example, as is the method of slaughter and the manner in which they’re transported to slaughterhouses.Moreover, not all animal suffering takes place within industrialized agriculture in the first place. Pollution and environmental degradation, cosmetics testing, illegal animal fights, cruelty to pets and many other practices also hurt animal welfare, and aren’t captured in raw animal death statistics.Another potential way of measuring the state of animal welfare in a country is by looking at what laws it has on the books protecting animals —or, alternatively, perpetuating their harm. This is the method used by the Animal Protection Index (API), one of the sources we’ll be referring to later on.Complete Story and Country Rankings:https://lnkd.in/gt3V2Yeq#sentience #animalsentience #sentientmedia#empathy

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