The Marineland amusement park in Niagara Falls is rejecting allegations that it mistreated numerous animals.
The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has laid five animal cruelty charges against Marineland, alleging that peacocks, guinea hens and black bears were mistreated.
The OSPCA says inspection officers and a veterinarian went to Marineland on November 10th after receiving a complaint about alleged animal cruelty.
Marineland says the complaint came from a former animal care worker who was fired for poor performance and inappropriate behaviour.
It says the OSPCA was given full access to the park and its thousands of birds and animals and only one peacock had an issue with its eye.
Here is Marineland's full statement regarding the charges:
The OSPCA visited Marineland on November 10, 2016 in response to a complaint by a former animal care worker who was fired for poor performance and inappropriate behaviour.
As always, the OSPCA was provided with full access to the thousands of birds and all the land animals living at Marineland and to all areas of the park.
A single peacock, out of thousands of birds, had an issue with one eye. The peacock was otherwise healthy, eating well and interacting with all the other birds.
Marineland’s veterinarian attended to examine and treat the peacock, which is receiving full and appropriate medical treatment. Marineland believes the Peacock is fine and with appropriate treatment will return to the flock and lead a healthy long life.
Concerns were expressed by the OSPCA regarding the conduct of Guinea Hens while four members of the OSPCA were in their pen viewing them. Guinea Hens, like any wild bird, did not respond well to the sudden entrance into their enclosure of four OSPCA staff. The OSPCA expressed their desire that more space be given to the Hens. Marineland has provided an additional area for the Guinea Hens to shelter. No Guinea Hens were unhealthy, needed medical treatment, or were not acting in a well-adjusted manner.
With respect to the Black Bears the OSPCA expressed one concern, that one or more small labels attached to fruit and vegetables had managed to make their way into the food that is provided to the Bears. The Bears are provided with a very healthy diet of fish and fruits and vegetables. The fruits and vegetables are fit for human consumption and come with small adhesive labels, the same labels you see on the fruit in the grocery store. These labels are removed before the produce is given to the bears. Occasionally, a label is missed. That is regrettable but it does not pose any risk to the Bears. The health of the bears has been checked recently by qualified veterinarian staff. The diet for and the health of the bears has been checked numerous times over the last three years by the OSPCA and each time has been approved. The same diet that the OSPCA has approved multiple times for the past four years is continuing to be provided to the bears.
There has never been a complaint made by anyone, including the OSPCA, about the water provided to the bears. The bears have easy access to fresh clean water. The bears’ diet is extremely healthy and includes fish fit for human consumption and fresh fruit and vegetables. All of Marineland’s bears are extremely healthy and were recently checked by veterinary staff on November 23, 2016. No problems were found and the veterinarian noted, “the bears are on an excellent and varied diet.”