Police have arrested a man suspected of igniting the July 2022 Oak Fire near Yosemite National Park, which burned more than 19,000 acres of vegetation and destroyed 127 homes. The suspect, Edward Wackerman, faces charges of aggravated arson and arson of a structure or forest land—and PETA’s asking the district attorney to add cruelty-to-animals charges to the list.
At least two cats were reportedly killed in the fire, and a third was burned so severely that they had to be euthanized. A cat named Pawsy—rescued by a news crew covering the fire—required extensive veterinary treatment for burns and lung damage. According to news reports and residents’ social media posts, other cats sustained burnt paws. The fire also likely injured, killed, or displaced an untold number of animals who inhabited the forest.
California’s cruelty-to-animals law applies to anyone who “tortures, torments, … or cruelly kills any animal, or causes … any animal to be … tortured, tormented, … or cruelly killed.” Deliberately starting a catastrophic fire that causes animals to endure terrifying, prolonged, and agonizing deaths warrants such charges.
PETA sent a letter to Mariposa County District Attorney Walter Wall, asking him to add cruelty-to-animals charges to those the suspected arsonist already faces, writing, “While it’s well known that the fire destroyed 127 homes, 66 other structures, and more than 19,000 acres of land, such catastrophic fires also inflict terror and suffering on many domesticated and wild animals and cause them to experience prolonged, agonizing deaths. … Given that Wackerman is accused of willfully and maliciously starting a wildfire that led to unnecessary and unjustifiable pain, suffering, and death for animals, I respectfully ask that investigators and your office add cruelty-to-animals charges to those he already faces.”
Precedent exists for such a move: Prosecutors in Monterey County and Oregon added cruelty-to-animals charges in similar wildfire cases, resulting in convictions on those charges.
Hold Wildland Arsonists Accountable for Animal Suffering
Wildfire arsonists should be held accountable for starting catastrophic fires that injure and kill animals. If you learn of a fire in your state, please encourage prosecutors to file cruelty-to-animals charges whenever they can be interpreted to apply.
A just-released inspection report shows that SeaQuest was cited again by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for violating the federal Animal Welfare Act. On May 1, the USDA inspected SeaQuest Folsom, in California, and found it to be jeopardizing the health and welfare of sloths by failing to provide the correct temperature and humidity in their enclosures. These conditions were also below healthy ranges two weeks before the inspection, according to SeaQuest’s logs.
A drop in temperature and humidity can be deadly for sloths, disrupting their digestion and causing them to starve. And this is far from the first time SeaQuest has failed them: This year, a whistleblower from the SeaQuest in Trumbull, Connecticut, reported that a sloth had fallen to the floor after his nails broke off, likely because they had become dry, cracked, and weakened due to dehydration and an insufficiently humid environment.
In July 2020, a 1-year-old sloth named Flash died at SeaQuest Las Vegas. He was thin when he died and had a history of weakness, twitching, and lack of appetite. Just nine months later, in April 2021, another sloth (also named Flash) died under similar circumstances at the same facility.
SeaQuest has a horrible track record with sloths. Why is the chain still allowed to keep them?
SeaQuest Profits While Animals Suffer
Animal suffering appears to be of little concern to the infamous Vince Covino, owner of the SeaQuest chain. While he profits, his businesses regularly rack up USDA citations—SeaQuest was recently slapped with a $4,500 fine over numerous cases in which animals bit members of the public at multiple locations and an incident in which a door crushed a flying squirrel to death.
The recent animal welfare failures of SeaQuest Folsom are just the latest in a years-long pattern of neglect by the facility that has resulted in a string of USDA citations. Incidents include failing to maintain the safety and sanitation of the Bengal cat enclosure, failing to keep adequate records of the animals, and having excessive flies throughout the facility, which poses a risk of disease to the animals.
SeaQuest’s other facilities across the country are no better: Hundreds of animals have died there, and the USDA has issued numerous citations for inadequate animal care, improper maintenance, and injuries to the public. Animals are in danger every minute they’re imprisoned at SeaQuest and at the mercy of animal exploiters who fail to give them even the most basic care. Steer clear of this seedy chain, where animals suffer for the sake of human entertainment and the only thing that runs wild is neglect.
Yellowstone Bear World is turning 25 this year—which means nearly 25 years of breeding bears, tearing infant cubs away from their mothers, forcing vulnerable animals into stressful encounters with humans, and selling bears to other seedy animal exploiters.
Yellowstone Bear World Fuels the Vicious Cycle of Suffering in America’s Cruel Cub- Petting Industry
In nature, black bear cubs stay with their mothers for up to two years, but Yellowstone Bear World routinely separates cubs from their mothers when they’re only weeks old—and, in some cases, before they can walk or even see. This premature maternal separation threatens the long-term development of every cub born there, and this act only serves to allow this greedy tourist trap to make money off these sentient beings in lucrative public encounters—such as photo ops and bottle-feeding interactions—that cause them even more distress.
Seeking comfort, this cub tried to suckle while being held in an unnatural position and forced to endure touching and handling by a crowd of visitors at an event at Yellowstone Bear World. (Photo taken by a member of the public in April 2022)
According to public records, Yellowstone Bear World has taken at least 168 baby bears from their mothers since 2011. Many of the facility’s bears have ended up in the hands of convicted wildlife traffickers, Hollywood animal wranglers, or other shady roadside zoos—and some may even have been sent to slaughter. The roadside zoo’s 25-year-long scheme of exploiting animals is nothing to celebrate—so instead, learn about 25 bears who suffered at the hands of this notorious operation.
25 Bears Who Represent Decades of Suffering at Yellowstone Bear World
‘Quiet Little Matter’
Within a month of Bear World’sopening in 1998, nearby residents sent a letter to Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) stating that “there is the quiet little matter of the Kodiak bear [who] killed one of the smaller black bears sometime during the week of June 29 [through] July 3.” The worried neighbors continued, “This has been ke[pt] quiet and swept under the carpet so that no one will know.”
Tuffy
According to veterinary reports on file at IDFG, a black bear named Tuffy was “found dead in [a] horse trailer” on June 28, 1999, after sustaining “fight wounds.” Tuffy’s diagnosis was heart failure, and the bear was one of two whose 1999 deaths were described by IDFG as a “questionable situation,” indicating there “may be some management concerns.”
Coco
Coco, a brown bear, endured years of exploitation at the facility, where she was used for breeding and where employees reportedly tranquilized her so that they could steal her weeks-old cubs. In 1999, she attacked an employee, who required hospitalization.
Brutus
Brutus was reportedly only 2 weeks old in 2002 when staff separated him from his mother, Coco. Years later, Casey Anderson—a former employee at the facility who went on to become a notorious animal wrangler—published the book The Story of Brutus, which described how Brutus had been taken away from his mom, stating that the cub was “pinned beneath the weight of his tranquilized 400-pound mother.”
Anderson “adopted” Brutus and continued to exploit him in film and television appearances. In one such case, Anderson fed him beer on an MTV reality show. After enduring a lifetime of exploitation, Brutus died in 2021 at 19 years of age.
Tank
A grizzly bear named Tank was born at the roadside zoo and ended up in the dangerous hands of Troy Hyde, who was caught trafficking Tank and other animals in the summer of 2000. Hyde was a Hollywood animal wrangler and the owner of Animals of Montana—a closed-down roadside menagerie that supplied animals for films and advertisements. In 2021, the state of Montana permanently revoked Hyde’s permit to exhibit animals after he was found to have committed 22 violations of state wildlife laws.
Rocky
In 2003, Bear World sent a brown bear cub named Rocky to Predators in Action—a shady business run by Randy Miller that supplied animals to the entertainment industry. Miller forced Rocky to perform in commercials and films for years until 2008, when the bear killed a man during an ad shoot. Following the incident, Rocky spent years locked in a cage.
In 2022, Rocky was rescued and sent to a reputable sanctuary, where he finally has space to roam and forage and will receive the care he needs. He’s the only bear born at Bear Worldwho’s known to have been sent to a legitimate sanctuary.
‘Black Bear Cub’
In 2009, the facility reportedly shipped a lone 5-month-old black bear on a cross-country flight to Santa’s Land Fun Park & Zoo—a North Carolina roadside zoo that PETA’s expert investigators ranked “among the worst” they had ever encountered. Investigators observed distressed, hungry bears in desolate concrete pits or cramped cages in which the animals constantly paced and walked in endless circles. It’s unknown whether the cub remained there—but if he did, he likely suffered in the miserable conditions that PETA investigators documented.
‘One Male’
An unnamed “one male” was one of two black bear cubs the roadside zoo sent to Bear Country USA—a roadside zoo and bear-breeding operation whose owners previouslypleaded guilty to trafficking grizzly bears and to illegally selling bear gallbladders.
Chief
Since 2012, Yellowstone Bear World has sent at least 96 bears to Gregg Woody, an animal broker known to have sent dozens of bears to slaughter. These bears included Chief, a 3-year-old black bear sent to him in 2018. According to public records, Chief is one of at least 23 bears Bear World sent to Woody after they became too old and big to continue to be exploited for lucrative public encounters. Not one of these bears was older than 4 years old, and it’s unknown what became of them after ending up with Woody.
Fun Fact Friday time! A lot of people that come visit see the cubs stand up (like Chief here) and think that we trained…
In 2015, G.W. Zoo—a closed-down roadside zoo then owned by Tiger King villain “Joe Exotic” and subsequently taken over by the equally infamous Jeff Lowe—acquired a black bear named Eve from Woody. According to available records, Eve may have been one of nine cubs Woody acquired from Yellowstone Bear World just two months prior. In 2020, a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspector found that Eve was underweight, was highly agitated, and apparently hadn’t been provided with adequate veterinary care.
Tigger
Bear World exploited Tigger for breeding for years. These misdeeds included taking her cubs from her to use them in public interactions or to ship them off to other roadside zoos. In 2022, a supervisor told a PETA investigator that Tigger, then 26 years old, was “dragging her body … across the road.” Despite the bear’s obvious suffering, a veterinarian apparently wasn’t called to provide her with care.
Sierra
Sierra experienced the same nightmare that many mother bears at the facility endure when the facility ripped her 6-week-old baby away from her in 2016 and sent the cub to the Kirshner Wildlife Foundation, which has a long history of animal abuse and neglect.
A bear languishing in tiny, barren cage at Kirshner Wildlife Foundation.
Tom
Visitors observed an adult male brown bear named Tom during a tour of Bear Worldin 2022. A staff member admitted that Tom is relegated to one side of an enclosure because his cagemate, Boo Boo, has “had enough of [him].” Concerned visitors have routinely observed either Tom or Boo Boo pacing in the enclosure, where they’ve worn down barren paths along the perimeter.
Ted
Bear World only provides Ted with a single metal slab—which he must share with his enclosure mate, Bert—for shade during the sweltering summer months.
Bosco
According to public records, Gregg Woody illegally bought Bosco from the facility in 2017 while his USDA license was suspended. Woody then sent Bosco to West Coast Game Park Safari, a roadside zoo in Oregon that exploited him in stressful public interactions until he was no longer profitable. Available records indicate West Coast Game Park sent the bear, who was then 3 years old, back to Woody in Illinois in 2020. The bear’s fate is currently unknown.
Sophie
In 2017, Woody illegally bought Sophie from Bear World before sending her to a notorious roadside hellhole, Oswald’s Bear Ranch. Confined to a concrete-floored cage, she was observed exhibiting signs of severe psychological distress, including pacing and crying out. In 2019, Sophie escaped from Oswald’s, only to be shot dead three days later.
Little Boy
Bear World crams adult black bears into a single enclosed area, where they can’t get away from one another, which has reportedly led to aggression, injuries, and even deaths. In 2022, a supervisor told a PETA investigator that Little Boy and another bear “get a little rough with each other.” Due to an injury to his front paw, Little Boy has had trouble walking. In 2021, a visitor observed him walking on only three legs.
Buster
Bear World took a weeks-old Buster from his mother in 2020 and sent him to a Wisconsin roadside zoo called Shalom Wildlife Zoo a couple of months later. Confined to a small cage, Buster has been seen exhibiting signs of severe psychological distress, including pacing and tossing his head along the perimeter of the cage.
Hildie
In 2021, Bear World shipped Hildie alone across the country to Clark’s Bears, a tourist trap that forces her to perform degrading stunts in circus-like shows, which involve scooters, basketballs, and a swing.
Hildie and Darla are hoping to see you this weekend!
Cub-petting, fueled by Yellowstone Bear World, is extremely stressful to weeks-old cubs who should still be with their mothers. An unnamed baby bear born there was transported more than 2,000 miles between multiple shady animal exploiters. She died soon after arriving at Oswald’s Bear Ranch, before she was even given a name. A Michigan state investigation simply referred to her as “Pink String” because of a pink string she was wearing when Oswald’s purchased her.
Henry
During a PETA investigation in 2022, a yearling named Henry escaped from his enclosure and was chased by an adult black bear named Finn, putting both bears at risk of injury. A supervisor recounted instructing an inexperienced employee who was assisting with the situation to carry a stick and “beat anything that comes in your way.”
Bean
PETA’s 2022 investigation into Yellowstone Bear World revealed that bears’ pain often seemed to be ignored or dismissed. After one bear cub, Bean, fractured his leg and was limping, a supervisor told workers to withhold his prescription pain medication because, in her view, he wasn’t acting like an injured animal.
Angus
As a supervisor told a PETA investigator, Angus had somehow “peeled the skin off” his back. At no point after being informed of this issue did the investigator ever see or hear that the facility contacted a veterinarian concerning the bear’s condition.
Reggie
After a car ran over a bear’s paw in 2022, federal authorities visited Bear World to investigate the incident. Staff apparently didn’t know which bear had been run over and seemingly chose Reggie at random for the veterinarian to examine. An employee recounted the incident to a PETA investigator, saying, “We just had to have the vet come out and look at somebody, and we decided it should be Reggie. We were stuck between Elliott, Reggie, and Tubbs. We went with Reggie because he’s already known to be a naughty bear.”
‘11’
“11” is one of two unnamed, numbered cubs the roadside zoo sent to Hollywood animal wrangler Scott Handley in 2023. Handley recently forced a chained bear to participate in a stunt in a Jackass movie.
Take Action for Cubs at Yellowstone Bear World
These 25 bears are only some of the countless animals who have suffered at the hands of Yellowstone Bear World. Take action below to tell Yellowstone Bear World to stop breeding bears and to end cub photo ops and other cruel public encounters:
The entire PETA Mobile Clinic staff took two state-of-the-art mobile spay/neuter clinics on a five-and-a-half-hour trek along difficult-to-maneuver hilly and winding roads to Galax, Virginia. There, they teamed up with the Twin County Humane Society and Homeward Trails Animal Rescue to offer free spay/neuter surgeries to 150 dogs and their grateful guardians. They worked tirelessly over the course of two days and not only spayed and neutered all the dogs but also vaccinated and microchipped them. Here are some of the happy patients who will no longer add to the companion animal overpopulation crisis:
In addition to the vital care provided at the mobile clinics, PETA staff also delivered sturdy wooden doghouses to 20 dogs kept chained or penned outside, replaced heavy chains with light-weight tethers, gave dogs comfortable new collars, and discussed how important it is for dogs to live indoors with their guardians. We also secured the surrender of four unwanted puppies and transferred them to our sheltering partners at the Chesapeake Humane Society for a chance at adoption. And, of course, we also picked up their mother on the spot and had her spayed so that she wouldn’t have additional litters!
In an epic two-day spay & neuter event, we improved the lives of 150 dogs & their guardians were so grateful pic.twitter.com/ebizMKDaAQ
More Than 150 Animals Sterilized, But So Many More Need Help
Unlike humans, dogs and cats can’t do their own family planning. It’s up to their guardians to make the responsible choice to have them spayed or neutered in order to help curb the companion animal overpopulation crisis, but sometimes resources aren’t accessible or even available.
The demand for appointments at our temporary clinic in Galax was so overwhelming that there was a waitlist. Several factors are at play that are making the affordability of spay/neuter surgeries for Virginians more difficult, especially in underserved areas: the veterinary workforce shortage; inflation, which leads to rising service costs; and high demand. PETA is working to reduce the number of homeless animals while also helping to care for dogs and cats in need without putting financial strain on their guardians. To help us continue this vital service, consider donating to our Mobile Clinics Division:
The long-hyped live-action remake of Disney’s The Little Mermaid premieres on May 26, and PETA is psyched to sea some ocean-dwelling animals making a splash on screen in computer-generated imagery.
In light of this live-action remake, PETA is reminding everyone to show respect to fish, crabs, gulls, and other wildlife. We’re also running our “Go Vegan” PSA starring a mermaid tail–clad Daniella Monet in Anaheim and Orange, California, theaters from May 15 to June 11.
Here’s what happens to real animals like Flounder, Sebastian, and Scuttle and how you can help them:
Fish Like Flounder Aren’t ‘Pets’
The song “Under the Sea” says it all: “The fish on the land ain’t happy. They sad ’cause they in their bowl.” You wouldn’t want to see Flounder abducted from his home and confined to a tiny tank—so don’t support the pet trade.
Fishers snatch saltwater fish from their ocean homes and sell them to pet shops like Petco, which treat fish and other animals like inanimate merchandise. They end up confined to small tanks, where they’re deprived of the opportunity to engage in natural behavior and are often denied even the basic necessities of life. These sensitive, social beings aren’t commodities—they have lives and interests of their own.
Much like Sebastian, real crabs are intelligent and learn from their mistakes. In the U.S. alone, the fishing industry kills tens of millions of crabs every year. Fishers often pull them from their ocean homes by dragging huge nets along the seafloor—which destroys entire ecosystems.
Crabs can feel pain, and they suffer immensely when they’re killed for food by being thrown into pots of scalding-hot water or steamed alive. They struggle so desperately to escape an excruciating death that their claws often break off.
No crustacean or any other animal belongs on your plate. Eat with compassion like The Little Mermaid’s lead actor, Halle Bailey, who’s a proud vegan.
Gulls are intelligent, sensitive birds who just want to feed themselves, find a safe place to live, and protect their young. Like Scuttle, they’re resourceful problem-solvers.
They face numerous hazards created by humans—they can become injured in collisions with buildings or traffic, get their beaks caught in fishing hooks, choke on pieces of plastic left on beaches, or get sick when they’re fed food scraps by beachgoers. Show respect to gulls by leaving them in peace, and call your local animal control service if you see one who’s injured or in danger.
Help PETA Protect Our Fellow Animals Under the Sea
PETA’s work helps suffering marine animals, including at pet stores, in the fishing industry, and at cruel marine parks. You can help us continue our lifesaving work by offering a kind donation:
