Giraffes from the 3-Vallées zoo, in the Tarn.

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B. Colin / 20 Minutes

  • This Friday, the Minister of Ecological Transition announced the closure of the 3-Vallées zoo in the Tarn.

  • The prefecture indicates that a control dated October 19 showed "major shortcomings within the establishment endangered the animals, but also the staff and visitors to this site".

  • In a statement, zoo officials deplore a smear campaign.

"Starving animals, unsanitary enclosures: I asked the prefect of Tarn to immediately close the 3 valleys zoo".

It is with this tweet that the Minister of Ecological Transition, Barbara Pompili announced this Friday morning the closure of the Félins des 3-Vallées zoo-park, an animal park located in Montredon-Labessonnié, in the Tarn.

Starving animals, unsanitary enclosures: I asked the Tarn prefect to immediately close the 3 valleys zoo.

The animals will be transferred to suitable establishments.

I will have no tolerance: when we welcome wild animals, we respect the rules.

pic.twitter.com/mFFlxUQ2TZ

- Barbara Pompili (@barbarapompili) October 23, 2020

The Minister also indicates that "the animals will be transferred to adapted establishments", before adding that she will have no tolerance: "When we welcome wild animals, we respect the rules".

Located between Castres and Albi, on a 58 hectare site, this park hosts more than 600 animals of 70 different species.

With many wild animals, one of its specialties.

“Following numerous reports, an unexpected check took place on October 19 in the Montredon-Labessionnié Animal Park.

This check confirmed that major shortcomings within the establishment endangered the animals, but also the staff and visitors to this site.

In addition, the objectives of informing and educating the public have not been achieved, ”indicates the Tarn prefecture in a press release.

The closing order was issued Thursday and it is indicated that the zoo has one month to proceed with the transfer of the animals.

"Smear campaign"

He has been the target in recent weeks of a wave of criticism over the conditions of detention and reception of animals.

"A concerted smear campaign, in particular on social networks", deplores the zoo in a press release posted online this Friday, the day when the gendarmerie presented him with the prefectural order closing the zoo.

“Atypical visitors showed up, taking photographs, not as is usual of the animals, but of fragments of equipment (pieces of wire fence, barriers, forgotten food bags) then published on social networks, accompanied by defamatory comments , going so far as to claim, for animals deeply asleep during the heatwave, that these animals were dying in front of their eyes… ”, replies the park manager, Sauveur Ferrara, on Facebook.

In his defense, he recalls that a year ago he received sanitary approval and that the various inspections that have taken place since "have not given rise to any observation or report".

In the spring, the latter appealed for help to support his park.

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