Guzoo animals could find homes in Calgary

Officials at the Calgary Zoo say they would consider taking some of the animals from a private facility northeast of the city that has been ordered to close its doors.

On Wednesday the province said Guzoo Animal Farm, which is near Three Hills, Alta., has been given a week to shut down the facility.

Government and independent inspectors concluded that the zoo which features 400 animals including tigers, a New Guinea singing dog, lynx and a baboon is deficient "in all categories of zoo operations."

Calgary Zoo spokeswoman Laurie Skene said her organization would need detailed veterinary records about any animals it considers adopting.

"Our priority is always the health and well being of the animals we already have in our care," she said. "We would have to really carefully look at the animals that are available."

Zoocheck Canada is also offering to help place the animals.

"Certainly the Detroit Zoo and the Oakland Zoo have taken in the odd rescued animal. And I have also approached the Toronto Zoo in this case, because we have a relationship there, and asked if there was any potential of some ending up there," said Julie Woodyer, who is the campaign director for Zoocheck Canada.

"I think that what you'll see is that these animals will go to a variety of facilities. But the vast majority will end up in sanctuaries," she added.

Guzoo owner critical

Meanwhile Guzoo owner Lynn Gustafson said animal rights activists pressured the government to pull his licence, a move that the inspection report didn't merit.

But that interpretation was at odds with the way Alberta Minister of Sustainable Resource Development Mel Knight characterized the report.

"Some of the issues are around how the animals would be housed and the fact that there would be situations like exotic animals and domestics in contact with one another," Knight said.

A lion at Guzoo is too old to move and will likely have to be put down, said Gustafson. But he will try to find new homes for the other exotic animals, he said.

The business will then open again with only domestic animals, Gustafson said, for which he would not need a zoo licence.