Shut Down Roadside Zoos That Let Animals Starve and Suffer

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Sponsor: The Animal Rescue Site

A dead tiger in a freezer a starving lion in a cage a camel left to die—Oregon must end this cruelty now.

Shut Down Roadside Zoos That Let Animals Starve and Suffer

Behind the fences of West Coast Game Park Safari in Bandon, Oregon, animals endured years of cruelty. When state investigators finally entered the park, they found conditions that defied belief.

Widespread Neglect Uncovered

A lion stood in its cage with bones pushing through its skin. A dead tiger was found in a freezer, buried beneath frozen turkeys meant for other animals’ meals1. A camel, too sick and injured to survive the trip to a care facility, had to be euthanized on the spot2.

Over 300 animals were removed from the park, which had been under investigation for months following a flood of community complaints and damning federal inspection reports3. The evidence showed cages lined with feces, food containers infested with rodents, and a disturbing lack of trained staff on site4.

This wasn’t a one-time incident. It was a collapse of basic humanity that happened in plain sight.

Roadside Zoos Are Failing Animals

Roadside zoos like this operate across the country, often without meaningful oversight. These facilities profit from the suffering of animals kept in small, unsanitary enclosures without medical care or proper enrichment. In Oregon, the system that allows this to continue is broken.

For years, state and federal inspectors documented problem after problem at West Coast Game Park Safari. The warnings were clear. The cruelty was avoidable5. But without strong regulations and enforcement, nothing changed—until it was too late for some of the animals.

Oregon Must Draw the Line

The state has a choice. It can continue to allow roadside zoos to cut corners and cause suffering, or it can set real, enforceable standards for animal care—standards that protect both animals and the public.

We are calling on the Governor of Oregon, the Director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture, and the Director of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to take action for the sake of animals. We cannot accept another frozen tiger, another starving lion, or another animal left to die in pain. This must stop.

Sign the petition today and tell Oregon’s leaders to protect captive wildlife from cruelty.

More on this issue:

  1. Ellyn Lapointe, Gizmodo (16 May 2025), "Oregon Safari Park Reportedly Starved Lions and Left Dead Tiger in Freezer."
  2. News Staff, KCBY (16 May 2025), "Camel euthanized due to health issues at West Coast Game Park Safari."
  3. Tanvi Varma, Barry Mangold & KATU Staff, KOMO News (16 May 2025), "Camel euthanized as authorities evaluate, relocate animals from Oregon safari park."
  4. Alex Jensen, KGW (16 May 2025), "1 camel put down, animals seized from West Coast Game Safari amid criminal investigation."

The Petition

To the Governor of Oregon, Director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture, and Director of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife,

We, the undersigned, call on the State of Oregon to take immediate action to protect animals from suffering and neglect by strengthening animal welfare requirements and prohibiting the operation of roadside zoos and similar facilities that fail to meet humane care standards.

The recent revelations from the West Coast Game Park Safari expose a harrowing reality—hundreds of animals kept in appalling conditions, including malnourished lions, a dead tiger stored in a freezer with food, rodent-contaminated feeding areas, and a camel so gravely neglected it could not be saved. These are not isolated incidents, but evidence of systemic failures allowed to persist for years under weak regulatory oversight.

We urge you to act decisively by:

  • Implementing rigorous, enforceable standards for captive wildlife care in Oregon.
  • Requiring mandatory, routine third-party inspections of all licensed facilities.
  • Denying permits or certification to any facility unable to provide veterinary care, clean conditions, appropriate enclosures, species-specific enrichment, and public safety.
  • Banning roadside zoos and other for-profit wildlife attractions that put animals and visitors at risk.

This is not just a legal or environmental issue—it is a moral one. Compassion must be the cornerstone of Oregon's wildlife policy. Animals, like those rescued from West Coast Game Park Safari, rely entirely on us to ensure they live free from suffering, fear, and neglect. When we ignore their welfare, we diminish our own humanity.

Taking bold, humane action today will not only prevent future tragedies—it will reflect Oregon’s values and leadership in protecting the voiceless. By holding facilities to higher standards and closing those that cannot meet them, we can build a safer, more ethical future for all living beings who call this state home.

We respectfully ask for your leadership and your commitment. The animals—and the people of Oregon—deserve nothing less.

Sincerely,