BATON ROUGE, La.– A local teenager started a petition that wants federal investigators to take a look at what’s going on behind the gates at the Baton Rouge zoo.
The Baton Rouge zoo is owned and operated by a public government agency.
That means BREC is funded by tax payer money.
Local 33’s Lucy Hayes spoke with the girl who started this push for change.
“It shocks me it shocks my family and the community and we want something done about it,” said Layne.
Kerregan Layne grew up going to the Baton Rouge zoo, and wants to be a veterinarian, but her love for animals sparked a red flag when she says over her lifetime. She’s seen the zoo’s atmosphere go down.
“When I was younger you would go in, and it would be really nice, and the animals would be happy, and they would be jumping around. It would be very well kept up with and the last few times that I’ve gone it hasn’t been that way. The animals don’t appear to be happy some of them seem very weak,” said Layne.
She started this petition that’s brought together more than 133,000 signatures and counting.
“Honestly I didn’t expect it to come this far. I wanted the animals to have a voice. I didn’t know the voice would be this loud, and I am very honored to have been a part of it,” said Layne.
She’s calling for the USDA animal and plant health inspection service to come down and decide for themselves if 21 deaths is too many.
” 21 animals in a local zoo dying in just 2016 it doesn’t seem normal,” said Layne. “I want the investigators to come down and do an overview of the zoo. Check the animals health make sure their veterinarian is doing what they are supposed to be doing. Make sure the zoo keepers are well trained. I don’t want to zoo closed. I think the zoo’s location is convenient for the communities around them, and I am just asking for further investigation in the zoo and within the deaths of the animals.”
But a spokeswoman for the zoo tells me they are constantly working with the USDA to meet standards, and she say their top priority is to take the very best care of their 650 animals.The spokeswoman also told me that some of the animals that died were fish, birds, and turtles, and that the USDA has been to their facility. They expect results from them soon.