Animal rights charity PETA is being sued after claiming a zoo has been mistreating a chimpanzees.
The zoo owners claim they have been threatened, ridiculed and have lost substantial amounts of money after PETA published a damning article, which they claim is false.
The controversial allegations surfaced on the PETA website.
The charity claims the DeYoung Family Zoo in Michigan is breaking the law by failing to follow the Endangered Species Act.
PETA says large captive chimpanzees are not suited for “entertainment” purposes and shouldn’t be kept in solitary confinement.
On its website PETA says: “In the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, there’s a dreadful roadside attraction called the DeYoung Family Zoo, where a young, energetic chimpanzee named Louie and an adult chimpanzee Tommy are apparently being kept in solitary confinement.”
PETA also said that it has secured a placement for the chimpanzees in an accredited sanctuary and will take care of their travel and veterinary care.
However, DeYoung Family Zoo intends to fight back and filed for an injunction to prevent PETA from filing the threatened lawsuit.
Their website says: “The animals live in ‘large, natural habitats’.
The DeYoungs are also seeking a judgment that their housing and care of the chimpanzees is not in breech of the Endangered Species Act and that the zoo is in compliance with the law.
A spokesman said ever since the false statement has been published zoo has been subjected to threats, ridicule, attorney’s fees and costs, and other substantial damages.
*DeYoungs Zoo owners are currently being featured on National Geographic Wild’s “My Life is a Zoo,” chronicling their lives with over 400 animals, including big cats, bears, primates and reptiles from around the world.
