A Viewer Writes: Salisbury Zoo

I took my granddaughter to the zoo yesterday.  The place is a mess.  The river is nasty as it has been for years.  The exhibits are overgrown and not very well maintained, the fence is broke, and one of the aquarium exhibits had an overturned turtle that was wedged by a tree and the wall.  I went to the front gate and asked two ladies taking donation money for help and was told everyone was probably in the gift shop.  I thought they called them to report this.  Noted we saw no one walking around the entire time we were in the zoo. No one came so then I went to the gift shop upon watching the two ladies go in there.  When I knocked and then opened the door marked closed, they were at the door counting money, all lights were out but I saw two people behind the counter.  I again reported the turtle and one of the men told me that was Beatrice and she always did that and she was okay.  I again told him she was wedged and he told me she was okay and zoo keepers were out around the zoo.  NOT!  They locked the door as soon as I closed it.  So I went back and snapped this picture 30 minutes after originally finding her in this upside down position, two reports by me and many others were concerned and said they were going to report.  No one came to flip her and she was still struggling to flip back but now is at a uphill position and the wall so she can’t flip over.  Also. The filth of the aquarium next to her is also pictured.

I’m glad everyone was said to be in the coolness of the gift shop and not out fixing or cleaning obvious issues and attending to reported issue of a distressed turtle.