By ZANE SPARLING/The Oregonian/OregonLive
Southern Oregon prosecutors have unsealed a walloping 371-count indictment against Brian Tenney, the owner of the West Coast Game Park Safari roadside zoo that has been dogged by animal maltreatment complaints for years.
Tenney, 53, made his first appearance Monday in the Coos County Circuit Court to hear the charges, which include some 320 charges of second-degree animal neglect, a felony, as well as unlawful possession of methamphetamine, cocaine and a machine gun.
The most serious charge lodged against Tenney is racketeering, which carries a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison.
Defense attorneys for the park owner didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Tenney was released after his daughter posted 10% of his $160,000 bail on Monday, records show.
Federal agriculture department inspectors have raised concerns about the 21-acre park in Bandon since at least 2016, when an employee tried to shoot an agitated black bear but missed and instead wounded another bear in an enclosure, The Oregonian/OregonLive previously reported. Both bears were ultimately killed.
Oregon State Police troopers ultimately raided the park in mid-May and announced Tenney’s arrest two weeks later. Charges weren’t filed until now, however.
The indictment provides few new details but lists an ark’s worth of animals that were allegedly neglected, ranging from an elk and racoon to a zebra and chimpanzee.
Court records show only a DUII and unlawful possession of cocaine case filed against her so far. It was unclear if she has an attorney and Beckner didn’t immediately respond to a phone call.
— Zane Sparling covers breaking news and courts for The Oregonian/OregonLive; zsparling@oregonian.com
So what has happened to all these animals that are suffering? Is there a place for them or do they continue to suffer? I am against any more zoos, and the ones we have should be monitored so we know these animals are safe. I wish they could be set free from where ever they came from.