Michael Kane and Matt Dwyer Reporting
On the Zoological Center at Lionshare Farms' website, the main page reads, "Long ago, people and animals lived in harmony. Horses gave rides. Wolves protected people."
In a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, however, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has urged the review of an application by the private Greenwich zoo to import three cheetahs from South Africa. Also in the letter, Blumenthal posed questions about the zoo's 501(c)(3) (nonprofit organization) status.
Lionshare Farms is a state-registered private business, but in its cheetah import permit application, also claims nonprofit status. This status would require the organization to prove charitable activity in order to be exempt from some federal income taxes.
"This cheetah import application concerns me because it raises serious questions about Lionshare Farm's legal status, purpose and public safety protections," Blumenthal said in a press release Wednesday. "These three cheetahs would apparently join several dozen other wild, exotic--and incredibly dangerous--animals now kept in Greenwich, including a lion, tiger, hyenas and a bear."
Blumenthal also cited the chimpanzee that brutally attacked a woman in Stamford five months ago, and that the incident has raised awareness about the private ownership of wild and exotic animals in Connecticut.
The Zoological Center at Lionshare Farms claims to be accredited by the Zoological Association of America (ZAA), and seeks to import the cheetahs "for conservation education for the benefit of the residents of Greenwich, CT and its suburbs where there are no cheetahs in nearby zoos," according to the permit application, which also states that the cheetahs will be used for breeding purposes, so as to provide cheetahs to other ZAA-accredited organizations.
In a written statement Wednesday, Lionshare Farms said that they received a letter from Blumenthal.
"Lionshare Farms will respond directly to Attorney General Blumenthal regarding the questions raised in his letter," said the organization in a written statement, "and will address with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service any questions regarding the pending application."
However, Blumenthal said that in the permit, the zoo provides few other details about their charitable mission or its possible benefit to the state.
"Many residents are unaware of this private preserve, despite the zoo's claim that its services benefit Greenwich and its suburbs," said Blumenthal in the press release. He also voiced concern about other public safety issues involved--including the zoo's close proximity to several elementary schools and the central Greenwich district.
"I am hopeful," said Blumenthal, "that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will give this application the close and exacting scrutiny that it deserves to protect the public, as well as the animals."
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