NEWS

Merle Hay Mall animals moving permanently this weekend

Linh Ta
lta@dmreg.com

The animals held at the “mall zoo” in Merle Hay Mall in Des Moines will permanently move to new locations this weekend, after a court denied a bid for an emergency injunction by Pella Wildlife Co.

The Academy of Wildlife Education closed its doors Oct. 31 after a public outcry about the housing of bears, wolves and other wild animals in the mall. Reasons for the closure were not immediately known, but Merle Hay Mall and the company went into a civil dispute Dec. 11.

The academy, which was managed by Pella Wildlife Co., filed for an injunction with the hopes of taking the animals back from the city and moving them to a new location with Ron DeArmond, the company’s chief operating officer. Concerns were raised in court Wednesday, however, over whether DeArmond and his employees could properly and safely transport, care and lodge the animals while also following regulations.

“I don’t doubt he cares for his animals,” said Sgt. James Butler, chief humane officer with the Des Moines Police Department. “I don’t think he has the capacity to take care of them now.”

The animals will be moved to three locations: the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, the Wild Animal Sanctuary of Colorado and the Animal Rescue League of Iowa. Since the animals were taken away from DeArmond and placed under the city’s care earlier this month, the Blank Park Zoo has been caring for the animals at the mall, costing the zoo $1,000 a day.

Several concerns were addressed, including where DeArmond would place the animals, whether he had enough money to care for them, why he did not file an appeal, and over the circumstances surrounding a mall security report that said a cub or a bear was loose at the mall during the summer of 2013.

DeArmond said there was a multi-acreage area in Indianola where he planned on housing the animals if the injunction was approved. However, Butler raised concerns about the location, saying he only saw a house and outhouses.

DeArmond argued that a fence was being built and would be ready by the weekend, but Butler was skeptical that a proper fence could be built by Saturday, especially around the holiday season.

DeArmond’s lawyer, Pamela Vandel, said DeArmond had 30 years of experience with wild animals, while running various institutions.

“He has a unique gift, and that’s teaching people about wild animals,” Vandel said. “There are very few like him.”

In the 26 years Butler has been with the city, he said he’s never been ordered to the courthouse with a similar emergency injunction. .

“This is just an unfortunate situation that I hope the city is never placed in again,” Butler said.