This photo taken on May 15, 2025 shows a lion with its ribs protruding as it looks out through its fenced enclosure at the West Coast Game Park Safari in Bandon. The Oregon State Police and multiple other agencies conducted a four-day search of the roadside zoo which had received repeated citations over the years by inspectors from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for its conditions and the wellbeing of the animals in its care.
Courtesy Oregon State Police
On the morning of May 15, 2025, officers from multiple local, state and federal agencies raided the West Coast Game Park Safari and seized more than 300 animals.
The park had a wide variety of animals, including lions and other big cats, capybaras, camels and a chimpanzee. They also had chickens, sheep, llamas and goats.
People had been complaining about dangerous conditions at the park for years and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited them for violating the Animal Welfare Act numerous times. Law enforcement also found over 80 grams of meth, eight grams of cocaine, 44 guns, and $1.6 million.
Justin Higginbottom is a reporter for Jefferson Public Radio based in Southern Oregon, and he joins us to share what he’s learned about the raid and what led up to it.
His stories come to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
Listen to all episodes of The Evergreen podcast here.
