Waccatee Zoo: A Tale of Closure and Animal Advocacy

In a twist that even the wildest scriptwriters couldn’t have cooked up, the Waccatee Zoo, a roadside attraction near Myrtle Beach, has thrown in the towel for good. Yeah, you heard it right, permanently shut its doors after squaring off with none other than PETA, the animal rights giants. 🚪🦁

Now, before you start imagining a zoo where giraffes are lounging in hammocks and lions are sipping on fancy cocktails, hold on. This place was dubbed ‘one of the worst roadside zoos in America’ by PETA. They accused the zookeepers of giving the animals a royal runaround, leaving some critters with fewer meals than a crash dieter on a deserted island and forcing others into lonely confinement.

So, PETA – the feisty animal rights crusaders – grabbed their legal swords and charged into battle, suing the zoo like they were storming the castle. They accused the zoo’s owners, Kim and Jeff Futrell, of being the ultimate party-poopers in the animal kingdom.

Here’s the deal: these two were told to wave goodbye to their zoo dreams forever. No more opening attractions or corralling wild creatures. The days of watching over captive critters are over for them. 🙅‍♂️🐯

But let’s get to the juicy bits. Remember those lions, king of the jungle and all that jazz? Well, these big cats were shoved into cages the size of your bathroom – you know, the one that even you struggle to fit in. And those poor parrots? They were in cages so tiny they couldn’t even stretch their wings, let alone do the Macarena.

If you thought the animals were throwing a tantrum, wait till you hear about the lawsuits. The zoo got slapped with fines that would make your piggy bank squeal. The US Department of Agriculture must have been giving them stern looks like a disappointed parent.

And guess what, the zoo’s neighbors weren’t exactly winning any awards in the animal kindness department either. You might’ve heard of Doc Antle – the Tiger King himself – operating the Myrtle Beach Safari nearby. Yeah, he’s the guy who practically put the ‘questionable’ in animal handling. 🐅🎪

In a plot twist worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster, the zoo’s owners, the Futrells, tried to dodge the blame game. Their lawyer, Reese Boyd, declared the bears were behind bars, not ready to audition for a wild episode of “Free Willy.”

In the final act, the zoo’s lights dimmed for good. Financial struggles and lawsuits aside, this 35-year-old zoo decided to bow out. Some say it was a saga of commercial viability gone awry, others call it the end of an era. So there you have it, folks. The Waccatee Zoo, once a lively hangout for school kids and critters alike, is no more.

And remember, next time you hear about a zoo, make sure it’s treating its animals like VIPs, not stuffing them into bathroom-sized enclosures. 🦜🦓