Wild Animal Orphanage Investigation 

LAST UPDATE: 11/9/2006 9:49:40 AM
Posted By: Maritza Nunez
This story is available on your cell phone at mobile.woai.com.

Watch this story...

Their job is to protect wild animals, but tonight the News 4 WOAI Trouble Shooters are breaking news of an animal sanctuary here under investigation.

Over the years, the Wild Animal Orphanage in northwest Bexar County has rescued many animals from certain death.

But that facility is now being investigated by at least two powerful agencies, one of which is looking into possible violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

"Mistakes are probably being made." Mistakes that could be putting some wild animals in danger, according to Kristina Brunner, a former board member of the Wild Animal Orphanage.

For ten years, Brunner volunteered there, until last December when she saw something she couldn't believe.

"I even told one of the workers, this monkey is not going to survive if he doesn't get heat right away," said Brunner.

Concerned about the conditions, Brunner says she snapped pictures back in December when we had freezing temperatures. The pictures show small cages with monkeys inside, a wet concrete floor, and plywood leaning against the cages to keep the freezing winds out. Brunner claims some of the monkeys subjected to these conditions later froze to death.

"How many of the monkeys froze to death?" asked News 4 WOAI Trouble Shooter Tanji Patton.

"I have records showing over five. But five, for sure, died," answered Brunner.

Outraged at what she saw, Brunner left the board and filed a number of complaints against the sanctuary. Both the state and USDA are now investigating.

Carol Asvestas, who runs the orphanage, denied our request for an interview. She referred us to her lawyer, Bill Aleshire. He calls Brunner's allegations "outrageous and vengeful."

When Patton asked about the allegations, Aleshire answered, "I don't know what the conditions of those monkeys were and I don't know that these monkeys were in those cages and neither do you."

Aleshire later admitted the monkeys died, but not from the cold or the conditions. He says they all had blankets and claims they were suffering from other health problems.

Late Wednesday, the Trouble Shooters received two inspections performed by veterinarians affiliated with the Wild Animal Orphanage. They show the conditions of the animals to be adequate for South Texas winters.

We traveled to another wildlife refuge, this one in Kendalia, to see how it protects animals from the cold.

Lynn Cuny operates Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation in Kendalia. When it is cold outside the animals there stay warm inside heated buildings.

"As you can feel, it's already warm in here," describes Cuny.

We showed the photos to Dr. Craig Brestrup. "Obviously, there's a lot of space between the plywood and the cage."

The City of San Antonio appointed Brestrup to temporarily run the city pound for the summer. He's currently Director of Development at Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation in Kendalia.

"If these are, in fact, the cages the way they were the nights it froze back in December, was that adequate protection for those animals?" asked Patton.

"Would you or I like to be in there if it was freezing? No, there's no way in the world that could be adequate," answered Brestrup.

While the USDA investigates the monkey deaths, the state (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) is investigating what it calls two animal burial pits located in remote area of the Wild Animal Orphanage. An area that houses many animals, some of which are primates infected with H.I.V. and hepatitis.

When asked how many animals were buried in the pits, Aleshire responded, "There were scores of animals over the last several years."

State investigators cited the Wild Animal Orphanage for burying animal remains without the proper permits and they have asked for the dead animals' health records.

"There were no animals that would have been where there might be any issue about any disease that were buried there," said Aleshire.

"If you have that documentation, why wouldn't you make it available?" asked Patton.

"We'll make it available to the regulatory agencies that are entitled to see that information and whose job it is to see that," replied Aleshire.

The Trouble Shooters obtained a letter from the Wild Animal Orphanage to the state (TCEQ), admitting the dead animals' remains "may be in a floodplain" and stating the facility plans to "remediate the site by removing the carcasses and depositing them in a permitted landfill."

The USDA and TCEQ investigations are ongoing. We'll let you know what they find.

Send news tips/story ideas to WOAI...