Chattanoogan.com Outdoors has learned that state and federal wildlife agents have raided what they describe as an illegal zoo in Cumberland County, Tennessee. Dan Hicks, spokesman for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, says agents served a search warrant on the location Friday. He said the owners had several lions, tigers and bears being held in a hidden location deep in the woods adjacent to the Catoosa Wildlife Management Area. Hicks said agents confiscated has a brown bear, three tigers, a black leopard, an African lion and a cougar.
This is a clipping from a web page that wildlife agents say shows numerous illegal lions, tigers and bears that were a "definite public safety issue."
The area is located off of Al Goss Road in Cumberland County. The owners apparently had the intention of opening a public zoo and even building a web page advertising the "Campbell Wildlife Canyon."
On the web page the owners are listed as Tim and Carla Campbell. Hicks said that they had never publicly displayed the illegal animals however, perhaps in hopes of someday obtaining proper permits.
"This was definitely a public safety issue," said Hicks, who said the animals were held in improper enclosures. "If any of these animals had escaped right next to the remote Catoosa Wildlife Management Area, I can't imagine what we would have had to do. I suppose we may have had to call in professional hunters.
Hicks said that charges are pending in the case but the investigation is continuing.
The bear has been taken to the Knoxville Zoo while all the big cats were taken to Tiger Haven, a properly permitted facility in Roane County, Tenn.
"I've never seen a situation like this before," said Hicks. "I can't imagine what these folks were thinking."