FORT WORTH, Texas — An investigation into conditions at a now-shuttered Fort Worth aquarium by the Humane Society of the United States allege animal abuse and neglect, pest infestations at the aquarium, and more.
The SeaQuest aquarium in the Ridgmar Mall closed in October after previous allegations of animal cruelty by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
Before the aquarium closed, the Humane Society of North Texas says it sent an undercover investigator to work at the SeaQuest locations in Fort Worth for 28 days and Las Vegas for 20 days.
During that time, the Humane Society alleges the investigator found several instances of animal abuse or neglect at the Fort Worth location.
Among those animals was a capybara that suffered from hip dysplasia because of the material in its enclosure, a kinkajou that tried to bite staff who removed it from his nest box, and parakeets in cramped conditions, the Humane Society investigators allege in the report.
The investigation alleges otters at both locations jostled for food provided by the public in which a zoological expert who reviewed footage of the otter interactions said “significant psychological distress” was evident, according to the report.
SeaQuest advertises that visitors can touch, feed and interact with animals and the investigator documented “dangerous” interactions involving sugar gliders, a Bengal cat, and sloths, the report alleges.
“Businesses like SeaQuest have carelessly used animals without giving a second thought to their safety for far too long. The Animal Welfare Act is designed to protect animals, not to protect the unscrupulous industries that use them for profit,” said Jennifer Eskra, director of legislative affairs at the Humane Society Legislative Fund.
The report alleges staff at both locations routinely found roaches crawling or falling on them, enclosures were infested with flies, and maggots were found in unemptied trash bins.
The investigation report also alleges a ball python, an emerald swift gecko, and a leopard gecko escaped while the investigator was working at SeaQuest Fort Worth.
The Humane Society says SeaQuest was cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for over 110 violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act between 2019 and 2024.
Shortly before SeaQuest Fort Worth closed in October, PETA sent a letter calling on Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells to investigate allegations of animal neglect at the SeaQuest Aquarium in Fort Worth.
The Humane Society says the Fort Worth location is one of five that have closed, down from 10 original locations.
The closures come after an ABC News investigation, in collaboration with affiliate stations KXTV, KSTP and KTNV, earlier this year found that nine SeaQuest locations were cited more than 80 times in the past five years by federal and state government agencies for issues ranging from potential disease hazards to inadequate care of animals, which in some cases led to animal deaths.
SeaQuest CEO Vince Covino announced in August that he’d be stepping down amid public scrutiny of the company’s treatment of animals after the ABC News investigation.
