US Humane Society Wants Investigation into West Des Moines Zoo

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — The Humane Society of the United States is raising new concerns about a West Des Moines zoo after a zookeeper was injured on the job.

According to the Blue Zoo Aquarium, a bamboo shark bit a zookeeper on the hand on Monday. Medics treated the victim and the keeper was released without the need for stitches, a zoo spokesman said. The shark was euthanized.

However, it is not the first death of an animal at the facility since it opened two months ago.

An inspection report on the U.S. Department of Agriculture website dated May 31, 2024, details the death of a parakeet that was crushed to death after being trampled by a child as it exited an interactive exhibit. The reported incident occurred on May 22, shortly after the facility opened. The inspector gave the facility until June 6 to take action to correct the problem and protect the birds by “installing barriers between the birds and the general public to ensure the safety of the animals.”

Preston Moore, director of the Human Society of the US in the state of Iowa, is calling for the facility to be closed.

“We are calling on the city of West Des Moines to take action to shut this business down and prevent similar businesses from opening in the future,” Moore said. “We are also calling on the West Des Moines Police Department to launch an animal neglect and animal cruelty investigation based on the reports we are hearing of animals not getting the care they need and being trampled to death at this facility.”

In a written response to questions, a spokesperson for the Blue Zoo Aquarium said the shark was the first animal to be euthanized at the West Des Moines facility. However, they did not respond to a request for comment on how many animals had died since they opened in May.

“While we understand the concerns, this is an isolated incident that we are addressing. We are implementing procedures and policies to ensure this does not happen in the future,” the spokesperson wrote.

As WHO 13 previously reported, Blue Zoo Aquarium lacks AZA accreditation, a designation that only 10 percent of zoos in the country have. The company has multiple locations in the U.S. and is owned by a group of investors under the name Tiger Family Entertainment, registered in Eagle, Idaho.