Exotic Animal Paradise, located on Route 66 near Strafford, Mo., began auctioning its animals this weekend so the park can eventually make way for a housing development.
The Associated Press has a story about the auction, as does the Kansas City Star. The Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader has this video of the owner vowing to screen each buyer of the animals to ensure they end up in suitable homes.
However, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch dropped this little bombshell in a Friday story.
The decision to close was made by the park’s owner, Ron Armitage, after a showdown with federal regulators who cited him repeatedly for animal-welfare complaints. Looking to avoid trial, Armitage agreed in January to shut down and disperse the animals by Nov. 1. Although the park’s demise has been cast as the result of economic factors, Armitage acknowledged publicly for the first time this week that pressure from regulators forced him to move on. […]
Armitage thinks the days of private animal parks may be ending. He blamed a mix of regulations and changing customer tastes. […]
“We’re going the way of drive-in movies and eight-track players,” Armitage said.
The acknowledgement that Exotic Animal Paradise was having animal-welfare problems comes as no surprise. When we toured it a few years ago, it was obvious that many of the animals were not being fed properly. Others that were behind cages showed symptoms of neurotic disorders.
First-time Route 66 travelers voiced similar concerns to us after touring the facility. And it was strongly rumored that Exotic Animal Paradise was having chronic problems complying with animal-care regulations. The report above confirms the speculation.
Armitage is citing changes in consumer tastes and stricter regulations for his animal park’s demise. But much of the blame needs to be placed on Armitage himself.
If tastes change, you have to change with them. What worked in 1971, when Exotic Animal Paradise first opened, isn’t going to work as well in the 21st century. I saw little difference in the facility a few years ago compared to when I first toured it with my mom and dad in the late 1970s.
And I don’t have much sympathy about his whining over regulations. Over the years, society has become more sensitive to the well-being of animals. This is a good thing. Many of the old notions about animal care have been consigned to the dustbin of history, and rightly so. If Armitage truly cared about his animals, he would have done a better job adjusting to these more-stringent regulations.
I know many animal lovers are concerned about where the animals will end up after the auction. But compared to where they are, a change in scenery might be a good thing.
And least the words “Exotic Animal Paradise” will no longer be ironic.
There’s a reason Exotic Animal Paradise was not listed in Route 66 for Kids. Against my better judgment, I had included it in the initial draft. Prior to releasing the book, I shared that draft with a woman who was traveling 66 with her children and asked her to field-test it on her trip. She and her family enjoyed most of the attractions they visited, but I will never forget her response to Exotic Animal Paradise:
“It made me sad.”
Consumer tastes have — thank God — changed to the point where most people no longer find it amusing to watch neurotic wildcats pace frantically in cages the size of my bathroom.
Frankly, I’m surprised I never saw PETA out there protesting. They probably should have been. And I’m surprised the authorities let him stay open long enough to shut down of his own volition. He ought to thank them for that instead of sniveling about how hard it was to keep up with their demands that he provide proper care for his animals.
I hate to lose a Route 66 business, but what I hate more is to see a Route 66 business owner mistreat animals.
Overfeeding a herd of deer for the amusement of tourists is not cute or quaint or charming. It is abuse. Period. You’d have to be living under a rock to be oblivious to the medical conditions associated with obesity in humans. Anyone who thinks the rules are different for animals has never taken an overweight dog to the vet.
Taking an animal that’s built to outrun the average classic car and cramming it into a cage smaller than the average motel room for the amusement of tourists is not cute or quaint or charming, either. It is also abuse.
I’m sorry this business owner didn’t care enough about his animals to care for them properly, ensure they were healthy and happy, and provide tourists with an enjoyable adventure. Savvy business owners know where their bread is buttered, and they take care of whatever it is that’s bringing in customers — be it the neon sign out front, the machine that freezes the custard inside, or the friendly deer and camels that greet the customers in their cars.
Business owners who can’t be bothered to take care of their assets and cater to their customers’ tastes tend not to succeed.
I’m sure there are Route 66 travelers who are mourning the demise of this roadside attraction. I am not one of them.
I visited the park twice, once in 1984 and then 20 years later in 2004 on a Route 66 tour. I for one found it a refreshing change from a classic zoo. The animals all appeared to me to be healthy, and I did not observer any severely overweight or underweight. And they had acres of land in which to roam in that the park was divided in to very large areas for each grouping of compatible animals. Much better in terms of space than any other zoo I have ever visited by a long shot. There were a few exceptions in that areas for monkeys and the “large cats” were smaller, although not unlike your average city zoo.
Where there is smoke there is probably fire, so I certainly am not going to dispute that there must have been some bad things going on based on the citations that were issued. They must have hid it pretty well.
I hope the animals end up in a better place, but I personally will miss that concept for an animal park. When done right it could be great for all, unless you are just dead set against the idea of any form of zoo to begin with.
It’s beyond the measure of sad when people lose respect for animals.
I’m not going to debate on Armitage’s ability to care for the animals. My best friend’s father was animal manager there in the early 1980’s, and I spent many happy hours growing up in Exotic as her father’s job provided them a home in the Park. But even with what I experienced growing up: Any animal, no matter how well cared for, in my opinion, is sad when it is taken out of its natural habitat and put out for display — no matter how well cared for, or how state of the art the display may be. End of my comment on that debate.
What sickens me is the thought that some of these animals went to hunting preserves, no matter how well-policed the auction was. Animals that were hand-raised, with no fear of humans. Animals who in fact, see humans as a food supply. Do you realize how easy it is to walk up to such animals, put a gun to them, and kill them? I know, because I have been there when animals had to be put down because they were hurt & couldn’t be helped. Animals raised by humans have no sense of impending fear like wild animals, who will flee from anything human for the most part. It is a tragic thing to watch, even when you know it is necessary.
For whatever their owner did or didn’t do, NO animal deserves to end it’s life like that in a hunting preserve, shot for sport, killed by humans when the animal has been programmed to believe humans are okay. That thought alone saddens me more than the closing of Exotic Animal Paradise. May all the animals RIP.
Emily, I have no idea when the last time you where there was, but I was JUST there, in Sept 2006.
The only neurotic animal I saw was a spider monkey in the “petting zoo” area. There were no big cats to be seen. I did see sheep that seemed to need shearing badly, but the other animals seemed fine. I didn’t see one single animal that looked either overweight or underweight, I didn’t see any that seemed stressed (in the open park) either. A very healthy baby donkey seemed quite happy using the hubcaps of our minivan as a butt scratcher, and I’m glad Hertz didn’t question the water buffalo horn scratches in the rear of the van.
I’m not saying that there wasn’t anything wrong there, but it certainly wasn’t obvious to us. We spent almost two hours driving though the place, and it was certainly a memory we’ll have forever. It’s a shame the place has problems, but they sure weren’t problems that one could readily see as a tourist.
Perhaps had you mentioned the park in your book, the owner would have had more tourists, and more money to take better care of the animals. Who knows…
I grew up in Springfield, but have been away from the area for the last 5 years, and only go back to visit around the holidays. I was really surprised and saddened to learn that the park had closed, but have been even more saddened to hear that the animals weren’t being treated well.
In fact, my father and I were talking about it as we drove past last weekend, and he recalled a time we went when I was younger: he said a bear came up to our window and put his paw on the glass – it was infected. This is adding up to all the stories I’ve heard about the animal welfare problems and makes me even more sad.
But perhaps what’s most devastating is the auctioning of the animals. It made me absolutely sick to my stomach and made me cry for a long time when I realized how many of those poor animals would probably not be going to good “homes.” In fact, it pains me to think about the fact that many of them are probably not still around today …
I’m not sure where these alleged tiny cages were for the big cats. In my many trips through the park, I found the cats to always be in enclosures equal to or significantly larger than what you’d find in the very best zoos in St. Louis, San Diego, or anywhere else. The deer all appeared to be in fine health, and unlike their human counterparts they know when to STOP eating if their food supply should exceed their needs. My children truely loved this place, and their many trips there helped to instill in them a great appreciation for animals, and indeed all things wild. As well as a great family outing, our trips there were always educational for my kids. And we’ve spent a great deal of time at home researching the animals we’ve seen at the park. We’ll sure miss this place.