CHARLESTOWN, Ind. – Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is suing a wildlife center for allegedly abusing exotic animals. Several Incidents are alleged including the non-profit’s owner punching a sloth in the face and repeatedly stomping on a tiger cub that had bitten him.
The lawsuit seeks to transfer the animals from Wildlife in Need in Charlestown into court-approved animal sanctuaries.
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service cited more than 120 violations of the Animal Welfare Act and ordered the nonprofit to pay $340,000 in civil penalties, which includes $40,000 to be paid directly by Tim Stark. Stark has run the wildlife center since 1999.
A nearly 200 page summary of the complaints against Stark includes failure to provide sufficient veterinary support to sick and dying animals, fatally beating a leopard with a baseball bat, forging the signature of a veterinarian who had not been in practice for years and harassing government officials.
The wildlife center owned by Stark, offers close-up encounters with wildlife and says it rescues and rehabilitates animals. The center has been the subject of controversy over the years with numerous allegations of abuse.
Stark said that he plans for fight the lawsuit.