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25 Animals Removed From N.J. Aquarium After Abuse Allegations
More than two dozen animals have been removed from a Middlesex County aquarium that violated several wildlife regulations, state environmental officials said Friday.
The state Department of Environmental Protection's Fish and Wildlife Division removed and found new homes for 25 reptiles, birds and other animals from SeaQuest Woodbridge on Thursday, state officials said.
"The animals that were removed are regulated under the Endangered and Nongame Species Conservation Act and the Exotic and Nongame Wildlife Regulations, and includes several mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians," said Caryn Shinske, a Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman.
SeaQuest Woodbridge did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The facility, which is located in the Woodbridge Center mall, has not been ordered to close.
The removal comes after state officials notified the aquarium on Jan. 31 that it had begun the process of revoking its permits. The order only covered regulated species and included the revocation of two of the aquarium's exotic and non-game permits, officials said.
"It does not cover other animals SeaQuest may have in their possession and does not order the facility to close," Shinske said.
State officials did not identify where the 25 animals were taken, citing its policies.
The aquarium's location in the Woodbridge Center mall appeared to be open Friday, according to the hours on its website. Tickets were available for purchase online.
However, the aquarium was "closed for renovations" on Thursday — the same day the state removed several animals — according to the hours posted online.
In December, the parent company, SeaQuest Holdings, filed for bankruptcy, saying its debts included more than $381,000 in back rent due to Woodbridge Center.
It's unclear exactly which animals were removed from the aquarium, but the state previously listed several birds, amphibians, mammals and other animals at SeaQuest in its investigation and order.
They included a green-winged macaw, blue and yellow macaw, rose-breasted cockatoo, giant day geckos, spiny-tailed lizards, a prehensile porcupine, an Asian water monitor, a Linnaeus's two-toed sloth, red-eyed tree frog, blue tongue skink, panther chameleon and South American coatimundi.
The aquarium has long been plagued with controversy and allegations of animal abuse.
Since it opened in 2019, the state had received more than 3,500 complaints about potential violations at the aquarium, state officials said. The state Department of Environmental Protection conducted a months-long investigation, finding numerous violations.
The violations included conditions that allowed animals in the SeaQuest aquarium to attack each other for years, poorly constructed enclosures, inadequate veterinary records and animals found with missing limbs, state officials previously said.
The state issued the location several citations and placed it on probation in September 2023. The probation period was scheduled to end after a year, but state officials extended it indefinitely after the company allegedly failed to take corrective actions.
After SeaQuest "failed to bring its operations into compliance," the state issued an administrative order last month that notified the company that it would seize all regulated animals in the facility's possession, state officials said.
The order also barred the company from releasing, transferring or removing any regulated animals to any other location without prior approval from the state.
SeaQuest had 20 days to appeal the notice before the denial of permits became final. It did not appeal the order, state officials said.
The company operates three sites in other states where visitors can observe about 300 species of animals, including stingrays, sharks, turtles, snakes, lizards and birds, SeaQuest's website says. Visitors can pet some of the animals and pay for additional activities, including snorkeling with stingrays.
Some SeaQuest locations in other states have recently closed.
The company's sites have failed government inspections, received citations for failing to request documents to import animals and allegedly mistreated hundreds of animals. Guests have also been injured by the animals, according to an ABC News investigation last year.
SeaQuest was cited more than 80 times in the past five years by several government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, ABC reported.
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Brianna Kudisch may be reached at bkudisch@njadvancemedia.Com.
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