Should the DNR oversee all zoos? Activists and zoo owners disagree

MADISON – A bill working itself through the Legislature is causing disagreement over whether privately owned zoos in Wisconsin should be overseen by the state, or if membership to a zoological trade organization and oversight from the federal government is enough.

The bill would allow privately owned zoos to forgo a license from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, as long as it receives accreditation from the Zoological Association of America. A similar exemption is already in place for members of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.

The bill has been brought forward the past several years but has failed to be passed while igniting tensions between zoo owners and organizations such as the Humane Society of America.

The Assembly Committee on Tourism took up the bill Wednesday afternoon, hearing testimony from both sides of the argument.

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Why zoo owners favor the bill

Zoo owners such as Judy Domaszek, the owner of Wildwood Wildlife Park and Zoo in Minocqua, testified in favor of the bill. Wildwood is the only Zoological Association of America accredited facility in Wisconsin.

Domaszek said that the oversight provided by the ZAA or the Ameican Zoo and Acquarium Association ensures the health and wellness of the animals in the park in a way that the DNR does not.

"The DNR does a wonderful job of overseeing animals in the wild, but not animals in the zoo," she said during the hearing.

She pointed out that the DNR's oversight is limited to native species of the state, so animals like tigers, elephants, lions or rhinos aren't a part of the state license, whereas the required licensing from the United States Department of Agriculture oversees both native and exotic species.

"The USDA is very vigilant in their oversight," she said. "Unlike the DNR, whose governing scope is very limited, the USDA has oversight and is interested in all the animals that are contained in our facilities."

Domaszek also pointed to the fact that zoos owned by localities, like the Milwaukee County Zoo, aren't required to obtain permits from the DNR, either.

"These exemptions have nothing to do with animal safety or the wellbeing," she said. "What this bill actually does is what is good for the animals, the wellbeing of the animals. The ZAA and AZA oversite includes a full spectrum of all aspects of our facilities. Isn't that why we're here today?"

Matt Schoebel, who operates Timbavati Wildlife Park in the Wisconsin Dells, said that the requirement for the DNR license requires record-keeping and other stipulations already required at the federal level by the USDA or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

"What we're talking about is parity with the AZA for organizations that are willing to hold themselves to a higher standard and join the ZAA," he said.

And even without the requirement for a DNR license, zoos can't operate with only a trade membership — there is always going to be a requirement to hold stricter federal approvals.

"Without a USDA license, you cannot operate or be open to the public, you have federal oversight, regardless of what trade group you're in," he said.

Schoebel has faced scrutiny from the DNR in recent years, with a number of citations issued earlier this year, alleging that Timbavati failed to keep accurate records regarding his facilities.

According to DNR citation documents, Matt and Alice Schoebel failed to disclose to the DNR the movement of bobcats in once instance, the death of another bobcat, and the whereabouts of several other animals. Two of the citations were dismissed in May, but Animal Entertainment Inc., the couple's company, was fined for the other.

Matt Schoebel acknowledged some of his paperwork was improperly filled out but said information was also given to the DNR correcting the mistakes made in record keeping.

"We supplied the DNR with all the supporting evidence that they asked for, to show we weren't up to anything nefarious," he said.

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'They're able to do something about the situation'

Those who testified against the bill expressed concerns over eliminating DNR oversight of zoos, saying it would remove a level of regulation that benefits animals.

Megan Nicholson, the state director for the Humane Society of the United States, suggested that all zoos in the state should be subject to DNR oversight, instead of providing exemptions to some.

"Make it fair," she said. "Additional oversight from the state would not be a burden to facilities that comply with the AZA's strict standards, and we would be consistent with other states."

She pointed out that while the DNR does only have oversight of native species, they can be called in to help if a native animal, such as a deer, wolf, bobcat or badger, were to escape.

"If you remove that license, it falls on local law enforcement," she said. "But if an animal is covered, the DNR handles it."

Dan Powell, the curator of animal care and conservation at the Racine Zoo. also spoke against the bill. He has worked in zoos since 1998, he said, and has been employed by zoos that have been members of both the AZA and the ZAA. He said that no exemptions should be provided to zoos; that all need to be licensed by the DNR.

In his experience, the DNR is more flexible and does more inspections based on complaints.

"They're able to do something about the situation," he said.

What the trade associations say about their certifications

For the AZA, accreditation consists of a selected panel of 15 experts, which evaluates each applying zoo and aquarium. The panel evaluates the standards for animal welfare, care and management, including living environments, social groupings, health and nutrition, according to its website.

Each candidate must fill out a detailed questionnaire, including copies of policies, procedures, records, lists and reports. The application can take months to complete, and up to six months to study and evaluate. The organization has been accrediting zoos since 1974 but existed for nearly 100 years.

For the ZAA, accreditation is a "multi-phase process," according to its website, including an application hundreds of pages in length, and sponsorship by at least two existing ZAA members. A site visit is also required, as well as a three-month "approval process."

Some of the areas evaluated in particular are animal care and husbandry, vet care, nutrition, enrichment, security and safety, facility aesthetics and maintenance, record keeping and a review of all policies. The organization was created in 2005.

Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on X at @SchulteLaura.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Zoo owners activists square off over DNR oversight for private zoos