Cover photo: Honey the bear (Credit – Holtsville Ecology Site & Animal Preserve Facebook)
The Harold H. Malkmes Wildlife Education and Ecology Center, better known as the Holtsville Ecology Site, is a park and zoo operated by the Town of Brookhaven Highway Department. The park offers free admission to the public, while housing over one hundred injured, socially handicapped, or otherwise non-releasable wild and farm animals. Over the years, the site has held mountain lions, lynxes, goats, llamas, eagles, deer, peacocks, emus, mainstay farm animals, as well as greenhouses, a picnic area, a pool, and playground. The site is known for its holiday light shows and its Groundhog Day celebrations with Holtsville Hal.
The site was also well known for its famed black bear that roamed its own large enclosure towards the eastern part of the site.
That bear, Honey, unfortunately, seems to be the lynchpin of an investigation called for by Supervisor Dan Panico (R-Center Moriches).
Honey lived at the site for over twenty-five years, passing away on November 22 at the age of 27, a rare feat as black bears typically live into their early twenties.
However, despite Honey’s relatively long life, many are now alleging that she and other animals have faced abuse and neglect at the hands of the park. Sarah Winter, an animal caretaker at the facility until just before Honey’s euthanization, said that Honey had suffered for years without pain medication for arthritis, treatment for urinary tract infections, and rotten teeth.
“To say Honey deserved better is an understatement. Even as an icon of the ‘preserve,’ she was severely neglected — her pain went ignored, she was harassed by her caretakers, and she exhibited the stereotypic behaviors of a miserable captive animal with no enrichment in their life,” said Cayleigh Kunnmann, a former assistant at the center, which has been corroborated by some members of the public.
A Facebook commenter on the Holtsville Ecology’s Site Facebook eulogy post of Honey wrote that she had “had a feeling” that Honey “was not doing so well.” The commenter writes that about a month prior to Honey’s passing, the bear had walked up to the fence and was “rocking side to side.” She wrote that she told her children that that was not normal behavior, as bears typically like to keep their distance.
The “rocking back and forth” is attributable to “zoochosis,” and is a way for the animal to deal with captivity and lack of stimulation. It is generally seen as a sign of distress of discomfort.
“We urged Holtsville to do the right thing just weeks before her death: to let Honey see a proper vet and send her to an accredited animal sanctuary, but they refused,” said Katheen Conelly, a former employee. “Brookhaven must send the other animals to another sanctuary now before it is too late.”
“There is going to be a lot more oversight now,” Panico said. “The care of animals in our custody is of paramount importance. And that’s what ultimately matters more than anything to me and my colleagues. My staff reached out to district attorney representatives and the response was positive. And it’s my understanding that they will investigate.”
However, the investigation will likely not be relegated to Honey, as other employees allege the bear’s treatment was standard operating procedure as far as the other animal residents were concerned. The site’s Eurasian lynx, arctic foxes, rabbits turtles, goats, and roosters received the same type of treatment, often in filthy, unstimulating enclosures with medical problems allegedly ignored for weeks or even months. Former employees also allege that surgical procedures were performed without anesthetics by staff who did not have proper veterinary training.
Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro (R-Shoreham) says the zoo is a “really incredible facility that thousands and thousands of people visit every year.”
Those who are opposed to the existence of zoos and are committed to their closure should be honest and make that philosophical argument instead of resorting to slander and defamation,” said Losquadro.
“If there is an opportunity to place animals in locations that would be better for the animal, I would be open to that,” stated Panico.
Former employees also mention the pig, Wilbur, who was “extremely lame” due to deep abscesses in his feet and puncture wounds from his enclosure; a Pekin duck, Nessy, who was unable to stand due to infected feet, a “mangled” wing that did not heal correctly from a fracture, a bone infection, and lead poisoning; and Stefan, a rooster, who had several, large necrotic pressure sores on his feet, which were caked in feces from his concrete pen.
John DiLeonardo of Humane Long Island, one of the most vocal advocates in shutting down Sloth Encounters of Hauppauge last year, echoes the concerns found by the employees and Supervisor Panico.
“Alleging that you had non veterinary staff performing surgeries on animals. You’re giving animals expired medication that’s meant for other animals. That you’re literally cutting staff infection off of animals instead of giving them antibiotics,” said DiLeonardo. “Humane Long Island applauds Supervisor Panico for calling on investigators and stands ready to assist authorities with placing these animals at reputable sanctuaries where they can live more natural lives.”
The office of District Attorney Ray Tierney (R) has not commented on whether or not they will investigate, but all signs currently indicate the office will probe the ecology site.
The Holtsville Ecology Site is located at 249 Buckley Road in Holtsville.
