Based on public records and reports, concerns are mounting regarding the welfare of chimpanzees housed at the Deyoung Family Zoo in Wallace, Michigan. This roadside zoo, owned by Bud DeYoung and Carrie Cramer, has come under scrutiny for its treatment of primates, particularly the seven chimpanzees currently held there. This article delves into the details surrounding these animals, referred to as “the DeYoung Prisoners,” and the broader issues of animal welfare at the DeYoung Family Zoo.
According to legal documents and investigations, the chimpanzees at DeYoung Family Zoo have a history of confinement and potential mistreatment. Prisoner A, known as Louie, is a male chimpanzee estimated to be around 13 years old. He has been at DeYoung Family Zoo since 2010, arriving as a young infant. Disturbingly, for the first two years of his life, Louie was reportedly used for profit, forced to participate in photo opportunities. Eyewitness accounts and photographic evidence show Louie frequently leashed and made to interact with zoo visitors, including children.
Prisoner B, an adult female chimpanzee, arrived at DeYoung Family Zoo around 2017. Her background includes time at the now-defunct Missouri Primate Foundation, a facility known for breeding chimpanzees for the exotic animal trade. In 2017, while at DeYoung Family Zoo, Prisoner B gave birth to a female chimpanzee, Prisoner C. Tragically, Prisoner C was reportedly removed from her mother’s care as an infant by the zoo. Prisoners D, E, F, and G are all adult chimpanzees, with Prisoners D and E being female and F and G being male. Like Prisoner B, these chimpanzees also have ties to the Missouri Primate Foundation and arrived at DeYoung Family Zoo around 2017.
The DeYoung Family Zoo gained further notoriety in connection with Tommy, a chimpanzee who was the subject of the documentary “Unlocking the Cage” and the Nonhuman Rights Project’s (NhRP) first habeas corpus petition for a nonhuman animal. Tommy was moved to DeYoung Family Zoo in 2015 after previously being kept in a cage at a used trailer lot in New York. In late 2023, the NhRP announced that public records suggest Tommy died at DeYoung Family Zoo in February 2022.
The DeYoung Family Zoo, operating since 1990, describes itself as offering various animal encounters. Their website advertises opportunities for visitors to hand-feed animals like deer, bears, and kangaroos, and even offers private tours to interact with sloths and otters. Despite these visitor attractions, DeYoung Family Zoo lacks accreditation from any recognized zoological association. This places it in the category of a roadside zoo, primarily regulated by the USDA. Critics argue that USDA standards are insufficient to address the complex needs of chimpanzees. Reports indicate that Louie, for instance, was housed without chimpanzee companionship for a significant period, and all chimpanzees are seemingly confined indoors during winter.
Concerns about the chimpanzees’ living conditions are further substantiated by observations made during a visit to DeYoung Family Zoo in August 2023 by NhRP Staff Attorney Jake Davis. From the parking lot, Davis reported witnessing chimpanzees in enclosures, hearing distressed screams and banging, and observing behaviors indicative of stress and attempts to interact between enclosures.
Animal welfare organizations have long voiced criticism of DeYoung Family Zoo’s chimpanzee confinement. In 2016, PETA issued a notice of intent to sue the zoo over the treatment of Tommy and Louie, alleging violations of the Endangered Species Act. While the lawsuit was ultimately not filed, it underscored the ongoing concerns.
Notably, DeYoung Family Zoo’s Facebook page has not featured the chimpanzees since 2018. In May 2023, the zoo cited COVID-19 related concerns as the reason for closing the primate section to public viewing. However, this explanation has been met with skepticism by animal advocates.
In November 2023, the NhRP obtained nearly 700 pages of USDA records related to Tommy and DeYoung Family Zoo through a Freedom of Information Act request. These documents provide further insight into the zoo’s operations and the conditions endured by the chimpanzees. These records are publicly available for review, inviting greater transparency and scrutiny of the DeYoung Family Zoo and the welfare of its captive chimpanzees.
