A clouded leopard lost her entire left leg and a capybara died in separate breeding mishaps at a controversial Miami roadside zoo owned by Mario Tabraue, a former cocaine trafficker whose story was featured in Netflix's Tiger King series.
Federal wildlife inspectors descended on Zoological Wildlife Foundation (ZWF) in March and documented the two incidents, both occurring in January, as critical violations of the Animal Welfare Act. The discovery has reignited calls from animal rights groups for the facility's permanent closure.
According to a veterinary medical officer with the US Department of Agriculture, the female clouded leopard named Petra was injured when staff attempted to breed her with a male housed in a neighboring enclosure. The two were separated by a wall with a guillotine door that had a gap at its base. The USDA inspector's report stated Petra reached her paw through the opening, prompting the male to attack. The wound was severe enough to require amputation of her entire left leg.
In a separate enclosure, a female capybara died after spending roughly six weeks with a male intended as a breeding partner. ZWF's owner told federal inspectors he was certain the male killed the female while attempting to mate with her.
The March inspection uncovered far broader problems at the facility beyond the two animal injuries. Inspectors cited dilapidated and unsafe housing conditions, filthy cages, and water and food supplies contaminated with algae and dead insects. The zoo charges $1,500 per hour for offsite animal encounters featuring alligators, arctic foxes, and ball pythons.
Tabraue, who appears in the 2020 Netflix documentary about exotic animal trading, was convicted in 1989 on narcotics and racketeering charges and served 12 years of a 100-year sentence. He has been presented as a likely inspiration for the 1983 film Scarface.
Klayton Rutherford, director of captive wildlife advocacy at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), said the facility's business model relies on profiting from live animal interactions rather than genuine welfare concerns. After Petra's amputation, ZWF posted video of the injured leopard to social media and solicited donations for her veterinary bills and new enclosure.
"The facility chases profits at the expense of animal welfare, and animals are paying with their lives and limbs at this hideous roadside zoo," Rutherford said.
He characterized ZWF's hands-on encounter programs as a warning sign that animals are being denied their natural behaviors. "These businesses rely on denying wild animals everything that is natural to them," he said, adding that the incidents reflected a broader pattern of poorly regulated exotic animal facilities prioritizing revenue over animal safety.
The USDA issued an immediate order to permanently separate incompatible animals at the facility but has not disclosed whether a follow-up inspection has occurred. ZWF did not respond to requests for comment.
The citations follow a history of previous violations at the zoo, including a 2021 critical citation after a lion cub older than 16 weeks bit a child four months earlier. ZWF's troubles echo recent closures of similar operations, including the Miami Seaquarium and Sloth World, a planned Orlando theme park that never opened after dozens of sloths taken from South American rainforests died in its care.
Rutherford said increased public scrutiny of animal welfare has prompted a shift in federal enforcement, though he cautioned against assuming the trend will lead to decisive action. The USDA has not responded to inquiries about enforcement timelines.
Author James Rodriguez: "A drug trafficker running a zoo where animals lose limbs during breeding mistakes is a story that writes itself, but the real scandal is how long facilities like this operate under federal oversight."
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