LEXINGTON, Va. – A Rockbridge County jury is now tasked with deciding the fate of 100 zoo animals following a six-day trial at the county’s circuit court. The animals were seized by law enforcement in December from the Natural Bridge Zoo, and the jury must determine whether each animal was cruelly treated or subjected to deprivation of care, leading to a “direct and immediate threat” to their well-being.
To prove their case, the county only needs to establish one of these conditions for each animal. Animals that are not proven to have been mistreated beyond a reasonable doubt will be returned to the zoo.
The jury began deliberations on Monday afternoon, equipped with 100 different verdict forms, one for each animal. Prior to deliberations, closing arguments focused on whether the county had met the necessary threshold.
Special assistant attorney general Michelle Welch, who led the case against the zoo, emphasized that through her 17 witnesses, she had demonstrated that every single animal fell into one of the two categories. She stressed that the jury must also consider good animal husbandry as part of adequate care, which encompasses everything necessary for an animal to have a good life. This includes maintaining appropriate food, water, environmental conditions, and providing necessary veterinary care.
According to Welch, the majority of the seized animals, with the exception of a gibbon and a blue-tongued skink that died earlier, have improved since they were impounded and sent to various veterinarians and zoos for care. Witnesses testified to this fact during the trial last week.
“They have been cared for in the last two months more than they ever were at Natural Bridge Zoo,” Welch stated.
Erin Harrigan, the zoo’s lawyer, attempted to cast doubt on the county’s version of events from the raid in early December. She argued that the zoo staff were not given access to care for the animals until 1 p.m. that day, which she believed accounted for the significant amount of waste found in the cages. Harrigan claimed that this disruption was not part of the zoo’s normal routine.
In an effort to challenge the county’s claims, Harrigan presented several photos to the jury highlighting contested standards of care, such as light, ventilation, and drainage. Welch dismissed Harrigan’s argument as “a fantasy.”
Before closing arguments, the zoo sought to call Gretchen Mogensen, a zookeeper and the daughter of the zoo’s owners, as their final witness. However, the county objected, claiming that Mogensen was a surprise witness. The zoo had added Mogensen to the witness list just after 2 a.m. on the day of the trial. Despite the zoo’s argument that it was a mistake and that Mogensen had always intended to testify, Judge Christopher Russell ruled in favor of the county. The zoo later read a summary of Mogensen’s intended testimony into the court record for potential appeal.
As of Monday night, the jury was still deliberating the fate of the 100 zoo animals seized from Natural Bridge Zoo.