No. The alleged violations at the Gulf Breeze Zoo include improperly euthanizing animals, including “gunshot as a means of euthanasia without any description of, [among other things], the circumstances in which gunshot could be used, the personnel authorized to perform this method of euthanasia, the training that any such personnel would be required to receive, the weapon or weapons used, or the location where such method of euthanasia would be carried out.”. Another Mogensen owns another zoo in Natural Bridge, the Natural Bridge Zoo. The Mogensens own that zoo and the Reston Zoo on Hunter Mill Road near Route 7. Copyright © 2020 Local News Now LLC. All Rights Reserved. The guided wagon ride boards from the lower half of the zoo and will take you on a 20 minute tour through the free roaming preserve. Inspectors also cited the Reston Zoo in connection with the wallaby euthanasia. There was not sufficient distance and/or barriers to restrict the public from having contact with squirrel monkeys, tamarins, and/or marmosets. The answer appears to be that Mogensen comes from a zoo family. That zoo is owned by the Virginia Safari Park, which is just north of the Natural Bridge Zoo on U.S. 11 and is owned by Mogensen’s son. finding the wet body of a dead wallaby in a trash bag, has been charged with animal cruelty and possession of a controlled substance, a fishing cat, a sloth bear and two palm civets died "of apparent dehydration, in 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture wrote up the Reston Zoo for "not having a veterinary program in place to prevent disease and injury" and for "significant health issues including eye and skin irritations, lameness, diarrhea, and stillbirths." Updated, 11:04 a.m., to include WUSA-9's reporting on the Reston Zoo's recent USDA citations. It was found dead the next day. The owner and former director of the Reston Zoo -- the latter convicted of animal cruelty in 2012 -- is in trouble for mistreating animals at a similar facility near Pensacola, Fla. All rights reserved. For the Nov 3 election: States are making it easier for citizens to vote absentee by mail this year due to the coronavirus. Feldman said it's not, that in most cases, an animal would be examined to "find out what was wrong," and after that "bodies are usually buried or cremated.". The Department of Agriculture has filed a complaint against Gulf Breeze Zoo owner Eric Mogensen and his daughter, Meghan Mogensen, for violations of the Animal Welfare Act, the Pensacola News Journal first reported. You don't need an excuse to vote early. WUSA-9 reports that more recently, in 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture wrote up the Reston Zoo for "not having a veterinary program in place to prevent disease and injury" and for "significant health issues including eye and skin irritations, lameness, diarrhea, and stillbirths." Repeated failure to safely handle and houseprimates. Tap here to turn on desktop notifications to get the news sent straight to you. Visit the state elections site. One of them: How did a 26-year-old become director of a zoo? Calls to the Reston Zoo and the Virginia Safari Park went unanswered; the person who answered the phone at the Natural Bridge Zoo said she didn't know Karl and Eric's relationship and said Karl was unavailable to talk. An attendant was not present when the public, including children, had contact with camels, goats, and llamas, resulting in a child being bitten by a camel, and a short-tail opossum escaped from an enclosure that was not covered. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Reston Zoo Owner Accused of Mistreating Animals in Florida, drowned a sick wallaby in a bucket to euthanize him. Karl Morgensen appears to be Eric's father and Meghan's grandfather. Today is National Voter Registration Day! Visit your state election office website to find out if you can vote by mail. Sign up for our daily Reston news digest! It is your right and your responsibility. Employees said Mogensen, then the director of the Reston Zoo, drowned a sick wallaby in a bucket to euthanize him earlier that year. Meghan Mogensen, 26, director of Reston Zoo in Vienna, Virginia, was arrested on Friday after a four month investigation into the creature's mysterious death. Reston Zoo has 30 acres of attractions, typical of small zoos in the area. Sometimes circumstances make it hard or impossible for you to vote on Election Day. A USDA February 2012 inspection report identified euthanasia, frostbite, and an injured spider monkey left in pain as major problems. ", Inspectors also cited the zoo for improperly treating the spider monkey's "superficial cuts on his hands and feet," indicated the "veterinarian was not contacted" and "the pain the animal received from its injury was not relieved promptly.". Sign up for membership to become a founding member and help shape HuffPost's next chapter, Register to vote and apply for an absentee ballot today, Animal Welfare Editor, The Huffington Post. In November 2004, the USDA fined Natural Bridge Zoo $2,475 after two Asiatic bears escaped through an unlocked gate. Both bears were shot and killed while they were on the loose in the community. The Natural Bridge Zoo was itself the subject of investigations. Karl Mogensen also temporarily lost his license and was fined $10,000 for AWA violations in 1993. Mogensen, who was sentenced to 30 days in jail, then transferred to the Gulf Breeze Zoo. For your voice to be heard, in most states you must register before you can vote. Details cannot be disclosed, said Holladay, because of USDA policy on open investigations. Failure to ensure that food was clean and wholesome when food for marmosets was prepared at a sink that was dirty and had dead insects and mouse droppings around the sink’s perimeter. The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service report cited the Reston Zoo with six violations, including cages that exposed a spider monkey to such cold temperatures the "hands and feet of the animal became frostbitten. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. In 1990, Eric Mogensen was the subject of a Humane Society complaint when a fishing cat, a sloth bear and two palm civets died "of apparent dehydration," according to the Los Angeles Times, while being transported by an animal shipping company he then owned. The Natural Bridge Zoo, the Virginia Safari Park and the Gulf Breeze Zoo are still open, as is the Reston Zoo, Patch reports: It was business as usual at the Reston Zoo on Monday, the day after Fairfax County Police announced the arrest of zoo director Meghan Mogensen. The former director of the Reston Zoo has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty and is currently serving time in jail on the charge, according to her attorney. By clicking “I agree” below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. However, zoo owner Karl Mogensen says this investigation is merely a matter of fencing that was not up to par with the USDA. Repeated failure to maintain animal enclosures. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. Does the Safari Open Air Bus Tour take you through the entire zoo? Can I ride the Open Air Bus if I have a stroller? Rabbits were housed in incompatible groups, resulting in newborn rabbits “being eaten, chewed upon, or otherwise injured by the other rabbits in the enclosure,” and causing the newborns to die or be euthanized due to their injuries. Part of HuffPost News. The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service report cited the Reston Zoo with six violations, including cages that exposed a spider monkey to such cold temperatures the "hands and feet of the animal became frostbitten." We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The owner and former director of the Reston Zoo — the latter convicted of animal cruelty in 2012 — is in trouble for mistreating animals at a similar facility near Pensacola, Fla. Visit your state election office website to find out whether they offer early voting. The complaint alleges the Mogensens shot an animal to euthanize it, failed to control and supervise animals (one of which it a child) and possessed drugs without authorization. An enclosure housing golden-headed lion tamarins had protruding nails; an enclosure housing a Patagonian cavy had buried wire mesh with sharp ends that protruded into the enclosure; a door in an enclosure housing tigers had rusted, jagged, and sharp edges, and an enclosure housing raccoons had rusted and corroded wire as well as wood that was splintered and warped. Here's The Rockbridge Report's 2006 findings: The Natural Bridge Zoo is now under investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the national agency that governs zoos, according to Darby Holladay, USDA spokesman. The Reston Zoo was written up again in 2012 for problems beyond the wallaby's death, appears to be Eric's father and Meghan's grandfather, USDA suspended Karl Mogensen's zookeeper license and fined him $10,000 for violations of the Animal Welfare Act, temporarily lost his license and was fined $10,000 for AWA violations in 1993. Other complaints in the filing against the Gulf Breeze Zoo: Repeated failure to handle animals as carefully as possible to prevent harm to the animals and the public. ©2020 Verizon Media. Groups of parents and preschoolers strolled the grounds, hoping to feed animals by hand and visit the petting barn. Each state has its own rules for mail-in absentee voting. This content is currently not available in your region. Another three concerned animals at the Reston Zoo. Welcome, Roer’s Zoofari. But this isn't the first time the zoo has been under scrutiny. The Rockbridge Report also described an incident involving "a 23-year-old African elephant named Asha that has a history of causing injuries to employees," but noted that USDA officials said there was no formal investigation "concerning an elephant at the Natural Bridge Zoo.". In September 2012, Meghan Mogensen, then 26, was convicted of animal cruelty and possession of a controlled substance in Fairfax County General District Court. In 2007, the USDA suspended Karl Mogensen's zookeeper license and fined him $10,000 for violations of the Animal Welfare Act. The news that Mogensen has been charged with animal cruelty and possession of a controlled substance raises a lot of questions. See our, Read a limited number of articles each month, You consent to the use of cookies and tracking by us and third parties to provide you with personalized ads, Unlimited access to washingtonpost.com on any device, Unlimited access to all Washington Post apps, No on-site advertising or third-party ad tracking. According to the Roer’s Zoofari … Your vote is your voice! WASHINGTON -- Meghan Mogensen, the 26-year-old director of the Reston Zoo in Northern Virginia, came to police attention when a zoo employee reported finding the wet body of a dead wallaby in a trash bag.
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