The Amnéville Zoo, which remains a popular destination for families for Luxembourg and the bordering regions, is facing serious allegations. A court session revolving around no less than 200 individual cases will take place in February, France Bleu reports.
Accusations include, among other charges, unfair dismissals, cash payments made to employees, excessive salaries, blackmail, and internal mobbing.
The zoo is also accused of being in an acute state of non-compliance with environmental laws and animal rights. According to France Bleu, several pipes leave the park and simply dump animal excrements into a forest. Employees also claimed that harmful chemical products (such as chlorine) were simply flowing into nature rather than being properly disposed of.
The sea lions’ basin has reportedly also been leaking since 1998 - bacteriological analyses are, to quote animal rights group “La Ligue des Animaux,” “horrible.”
Employees also argued that dead animals were simply buried at the zoo and at a forest to save money. They also said that the official announcements of animal transfers to other zoos were untrue and that most of the animals in question were dead.
They mentioned the example of the gorilla Yakwanza in 2017. The official cause of death had been an aneurysm rupture. In reality, the employees claim, the animal died of an anesthetic error. They also violently attacked the director of the zoo, who allegedly wanted the water of the sea lions’ basin to be as blue as possible. The basin was allegedly chlorinated all the time, injuring the eyes of the animals. One sea lion called Watson died in June.
Some also implied that the acquisition of a binturong (bearcat) was dubious, alleging that the animal was captured in the wild. The “Tiger World” spectacle was also criticised for violating animal rights and being identical to a “circus show.”
Director Michel Louis refuted the allegations and argued that it was a “plot” to take away the zoo from him. He claimed that everything was legal and that nothing was hidden.
