Run by a social media influencer often known as “The Actual Tarzann,” The Wyld Jungle—an unlicensed roadside zoo in Temecula, California—seems to be nothing greater than a nefarious, clout-driven scheme geared toward harassing animals for viral content material.
In lots of movies, Holston is seen repeatedly frightening animals just like the lizard pictured above.
The seedy operation is at present exhibiting animals—together with zebras, camels, ostriches, a water buffalo, a Brahman bull, a higher rhea, emus, and others—and providing harmful direct encounters with wildlife and not using a federal exhibitor’s license.
In response to Holston, at the very least 4 staff have been injured by ostriches at The Wyld Jungle, together with the ability’s safety guard, who turned cornered in an enclosure and was almost hospitalized after an ostrich kicked him and sliced via his pants. A number of staff have been reportedly left with bruises after being bitten by an alpaca. If federal officers don’t act now, it’s solely a matter of time earlier than members of the general public are injured on the roadside zoo.
The Companions in Crime Behind This Cesspool of Struggling
The chief of the scummy operation, Michael Holston (aka “The Actual Tarzann”), has admitted that he has no significant expertise working with the regulated species he displays at The Wyld Jungle—he’s even requested his followers learn how to deal with sure conditions—however he does have a historical past of violating state wildlife legal guidelines and ties to the infamous Tiger King villain Bhagavan “Doc” Antle.
In a wicked try to spice up his platform, Holston makes use of animals as props for content material, repeatedly frightening them and interesting them in reckless, hazardous stunts. He typically purposefully prompts the animals to reply aggressively, placing himself, his staff, the general public, and the animals in danger.
In a single video posted to Holston’s Instagram, he’s seen grabbing a reptile’s tongue in entrance of holiday makers.
In 2018, Holston was charged with almost a dozen violations of Florida’s wildlife legal guidelines for illegal possession, sale, and transport of animals. One 12 months later, he was arrested and charged with assaulting two people from the Zoological Wildlife Basis, who have been selecting up a lion from a compound owned by “Doc” Antle in Miami—the place Holston was dwelling on the time. Whereas all these expenses have been ultimately dropped as a part of a pre-trial diversion program, Holston’s historical past of violating state wildlife regulation makes him ineligible to carry a federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) exhibitor’s license.
In 2022, Holston partnered with Dan Fleyshman, a social media investor, to construct The Wyld Jungle on Fleyshman’s 26-acre ranch in Temecula. The roadside zoo has been working in violation of Riverside County’s zoning legal guidelines.
PETA Urges Officers to Act Now
PETA has beforehand submitted two complaints to the U.S. Division of Agriculture (USDA) reporting The Wyld Jungle’s obvious illegal exercise, but Holston and Fleyshman proceed to exhibit animals and not using a license. Now, we’re sending one other criticism to the USDA, strongly urging the company to intervene and maintain Holston accountable.
Right here’s How You Can Assist Animals Struggling at Roadside Zoos Like The Wyld Jungle
The Wyld Jungle is only one of many roadside hellholes that revenue from the exploitation of dwelling, feeling animals. Animals trapped at roadside zoos typically languish in small enclosures, the place they tempo backwards and forwards from psychological misery. On account of their depressing confinement, animals can turn out to be aggressive, inflicting them to injure themselves, different animals, staff, or guests. Please keep far-off from roadside zoos and different merciless displays:
Take Motion for Animals at Roadside Zoos!
