SeaQuest, a chain of interactive animal parks and aquariums across the country, filed for bankruptcy protection this month, after years in which many of its facilities drew scrutiny from federal and state regulators, and several shut down.
The company filed for Chapter 11 protection on Dec. 2 in Idaho, where it is headquartered. Its remaining locations — in California, Minnesota, Utah, Nevada and New Jersey — exhibit exotic species including sloths, and invite the public to interact with and sometimes handle them. In July, an article in The New York Times described the dangerous conditions at the SeaQuest at Woodbridge Mall in Woodbridge, N.J., where, between 2019 and 2023, nearly 100 animals died and others escaped their enclosures. State officials had issued a 32-page notice of violations, saying the company must change its practices. A spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection declined to comment.
In August, Vince Covino, a founder and chief executive of the company, resigned. His departure was celebrated by animal rights groups, which had long criticized SeaQuest for what they called inhumane care that put animals (including mammals, birds, reptiles and fish) and the public at risk.
The bankruptcy filing said the company had assets of less than $1 million and liabilities of more than $10 million. Aaron Neilsen, moved from chief financial officer to chief executive after Covino’s exit. In a news release, SeaQuest said it had welcomed 21 million visitors, but acknowledged criticism from animal advocates, saying that under Covino’s leadership, “mistakes were made.” Representatives for SeaQuest did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
SeaQuest is part of a growing number of for-profit exhibitors centered on animal-human interactions, a business model that concerns animal ethicists, zoologists and other experts. The animals on display extend beyond the domesticated livestock at typical petting zoos to include creatures with complex needs and often little supervision or public understanding, like Asian water monitors — enormous, fierce reptiles — that were walked on leashes at SeaQuest Woodbridge. Social media interest in animal selfies and patchwork regulations have created opportunities for abuse, neglect and public endangerment, advocates say.
In a statement, Rebecca Smudzinski, associate director of captive wildlife at PETA, said the organization was calling on SeaQuest “to shut down its remaining locations and surrender the surviving animals to reputable, financially responsible facilities that can finally get them the care they desperately need.”
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