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OK, this is ultimately a question and maybe a request for some info, so I'm going to try to make the story as quick and clean cut as possible <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/grin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="
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A few years ago, I was at the Wildwood boardwalk in NJ and happened upon what appeared (from the outside) to be a very small and well-maintained Aquarium attraction. However, the cashier outside was holding a large boa constrictor around his neck, which had a large, oozing open wound (the snake, not the guy's neck, lol) around its mid-section and the guy kept carelessly slamming the tip of the snake's tail in the cash drawer every time he closed it. So, despite how I feel about animals in captivity used for entertainment purposes, I was half tempted to go in just to look around and make sure the animals seemed to be living as decently as possible, so my curiosity got the best of me and I paid my 6 bucks admission. Once in there, my nightmare was confirmed. It was the sorriest excuse for an "aquarium" I'd ever heard of. The living conditions were deplorable! It was dingy, dark and dirty. Box turtles were living in dirty, cramped, tiny fish bowls. There was a monitor lizard living in a dirty tank with an exposed SPACE HEATER(!!!) and there were some very miserable looking alligators that were being handled very roughly and thrown around by their "professional alligator wrestler" (which was actually just some zit-faced kid in khaki shorts and a safari hat). The place smelled like hell. That was all I managed to witness before I decided I couldn't take it anymore and had to get out. I wish I'd been able to stay longer to get some pictures, but I really couldn't take it any longer.<br><br><br><br>
When we got home, we did some research on the place and the owner. In a nutshell, we found out that the guy was a total scumbag and had a different attraction on the boardwalk (Seaport Safari or some crap like that) shut down years ago due to lack of licenses for owning the exotic animals. We contacted the NJ dept. of game and wildlife to check him out and they said they did not have him on file as currently being licensed for the exotic animals he now owned at the Aquarium... we found out exactly how many violations he had and for which species, but I don't remember off hand ATM. The Dept. said they would check him out, but of course, they couldn't care less whether the animals are being treated porperly, they only care if they are being cheated out of their licensing fees.<br><br><br><br>
So I was actually there last night and happened to walk by, guess what? Yup, the old Seaport Aquarium, still in full-swing. I didn't dare go in again as I was with my mom and young nephew and didn't want to cause any trouble (my b/f and I got thrown out and treated rather rudely and unprofessionally last time for politely asking for a refund because we "changed our minds" about going through), plus I didn't have a camera on me. I am thinking about going back with my b/f and maybe a few other friends just so we can get some pictures for evidence, but in the meantime, what organizations can I contact about this place? I would love to find someone who could officially go in, maybe in an under-cover sort of way to investigate and have this guy shut down once and for all. I don't know if a local humane society would be willing to do that and I'm afraid PETA might be a little too high up the ladder to get any immediate support. What are your suggestions? Who's the man for the job?<br><br><br><br>
It just completely blows my mind that nothing has been done about this sooner, what with the <i>millions</i> of tourists the Wildwood boardwalk receives every year. Surely out of the millions, at least few must be caring individuals and concered about the welfare of animals, even captive ones? Maybe even a tiny, miniscule percentage are even *gulp*.... veg*n?? Who would have thought... but anyway, thanks very much in advance for your help!
"><br><br><br><br>A few years ago, I was at the Wildwood boardwalk in NJ and happened upon what appeared (from the outside) to be a very small and well-maintained Aquarium attraction. However, the cashier outside was holding a large boa constrictor around his neck, which had a large, oozing open wound (the snake, not the guy's neck, lol) around its mid-section and the guy kept carelessly slamming the tip of the snake's tail in the cash drawer every time he closed it. So, despite how I feel about animals in captivity used for entertainment purposes, I was half tempted to go in just to look around and make sure the animals seemed to be living as decently as possible, so my curiosity got the best of me and I paid my 6 bucks admission. Once in there, my nightmare was confirmed. It was the sorriest excuse for an "aquarium" I'd ever heard of. The living conditions were deplorable! It was dingy, dark and dirty. Box turtles were living in dirty, cramped, tiny fish bowls. There was a monitor lizard living in a dirty tank with an exposed SPACE HEATER(!!!) and there were some very miserable looking alligators that were being handled very roughly and thrown around by their "professional alligator wrestler" (which was actually just some zit-faced kid in khaki shorts and a safari hat). The place smelled like hell. That was all I managed to witness before I decided I couldn't take it anymore and had to get out. I wish I'd been able to stay longer to get some pictures, but I really couldn't take it any longer.<br><br><br><br>
When we got home, we did some research on the place and the owner. In a nutshell, we found out that the guy was a total scumbag and had a different attraction on the boardwalk (Seaport Safari or some crap like that) shut down years ago due to lack of licenses for owning the exotic animals. We contacted the NJ dept. of game and wildlife to check him out and they said they did not have him on file as currently being licensed for the exotic animals he now owned at the Aquarium... we found out exactly how many violations he had and for which species, but I don't remember off hand ATM. The Dept. said they would check him out, but of course, they couldn't care less whether the animals are being treated porperly, they only care if they are being cheated out of their licensing fees.<br><br><br><br>
So I was actually there last night and happened to walk by, guess what? Yup, the old Seaport Aquarium, still in full-swing. I didn't dare go in again as I was with my mom and young nephew and didn't want to cause any trouble (my b/f and I got thrown out and treated rather rudely and unprofessionally last time for politely asking for a refund because we "changed our minds" about going through), plus I didn't have a camera on me. I am thinking about going back with my b/f and maybe a few other friends just so we can get some pictures for evidence, but in the meantime, what organizations can I contact about this place? I would love to find someone who could officially go in, maybe in an under-cover sort of way to investigate and have this guy shut down once and for all. I don't know if a local humane society would be willing to do that and I'm afraid PETA might be a little too high up the ladder to get any immediate support. What are your suggestions? Who's the man for the job?<br><br><br><br>
It just completely blows my mind that nothing has been done about this sooner, what with the <i>millions</i> of tourists the Wildwood boardwalk receives every year. Surely out of the millions, at least few must be caring individuals and concered about the welfare of animals, even captive ones? Maybe even a tiny, miniscule percentage are even *gulp*.... veg*n?? Who would have thought... but anyway, thanks very much in advance for your help!
