It look's like you don't have Adobe Flash Player installed. Get it now.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals also known as PETA made a special trip to the Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield today to protest the zoo selling animals.
KSMU's Erika Brame has more.
These are the sounds many patrons of the Dickerson Park Zoo hear when they first enter through the gates.
But, right outside those gates was a protester dressed as a Kangaroo; she had hung a target around her neck, and held a sign that said, "Don't make me a target."
She's a member of PETA, and her organization is criticizing Dickerson Park Zoo for selling animals to unaccredited dealers.
Daniel Hauff the Animal and Entertainment Specialist for PETA says they are selling these animals to private investors whom they accuse of being animal auctioneers.
"They are sending them off to places, to dealers who send them off to be killed and hunting ranches and auctions. So this isn't in the best interests of these animals and the public should be outraged at how their dealing with their surplus animals. They discard unwanted animals like they're dirty laundry."
Mike Crocker, the Zoo Superintendent says the Association of Zoos and Aquariums has guidelines for the selling of zoo animals to private investors, and that Dickerson Park Zoo has followed those guidelines.
"They're not going to places like shooting ranches and exotic animal auctions. We're required to get an agreement, an animal transaction form if you want to call it that, signed by those receiving individuals that they will not do that and we have done that."
PETA is calling on both the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and The Springfield Parks Board to step in.
They want the Dickerson Park Zoo to lose its accreditation and for the Springfield Parks Board to relocate these animals to a new facility.
But, zoo officials insist they're doing nothing wrong.
For KSMU I'm Erika Brame.
