PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to inspect Tregembo Animal Park on Carolina Beach Road in Wilmington. This week’s request from PETA comes after the organization saw video footage of several animals apparently in distress.
On a warm spring morning a dozen cars are in the Tregembo parking lot, and the gift shop inside is doing a brisk business. Everything appears normal, for a zoo. However, according to PETA, this zoo has issues.
Carney Anne is Associate Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement at the PETA Foundation.
“A concerned citizen recently visited Tregembo and contacted PETA to report some concerns. They provided video of a limping monkey, animals with suspicious hair loss, and a bobcat that appears to be blind.”
Sherry Tregembo, who owns the zoo, disagrees and says the video is misleading.
“The guenon monkey they are talking about is a good player, she always plays limped, and she’ll limp around and then she’ll walk fine on her legs there is nothing wrong with her legs, she likes to hop around like that and has for 20 years.”
She said complaints of hair loss are also misunderstood.
“As far as the fox and donkey with hair loss they are shedding their winter coats right now, so of course there will be hair coming out from their winter coats.”
PETA wants action.
“There are hundreds of these roadside menageries, they have no education or conservation value.”
Tregembo has fielded complaints before from the USDA. No word if the USDA will follow-up on PETA’s request.