DENVER — The Denver Zoo has acquired nearly 130 animals from the now closed SeaQuest aquarium in Littleton.
In a news release, the Denver Zoo said the aquarium “received multiple citations and complaints for animal welfare concerns and injuries to customers since it opened in 2018.”
SeaQuest closed its Littleton location on February 4 and the Denver Zoo said it was working to find homes for several species of animals including tortoises, wallabies and aquatic animals.
“Over the past week, the Zoo led efforts with Downtown Aquarium Denver to help monitor, evaluate, and place the animals, and the Zoo was able to provide new, safe homes for many of them,” said the zoo in the news release. “The animals are getting acquainted with their new habitats behind the scenes at the Zoo’s Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Animal Hospital and Tropical Discovery, and the Zoo’s animal care team reports that the new additions are settling in well and will be viewable to guests and members soon.”
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officials had over the years investigated the aquarium and state records showed dozens of reports of injuries between 2018 and 2019, Denver7 previously reported.
CPW eventually suspended SeaQuest’s license for two years which only applied to species at the aquarium regulated by the agency, and SeaQuest in Littleton was allowed to remain open.
In a January post on its Facebook page SeaQuest said of the closure: “During this transition, we will be safely relocating our animals; their care and well-being remain an utmost priority for SeaQuest.”
“We have a number of rescued animals living here at the Zoo and take the responsibility of bringing in these animals very seriously,” Denver Zoo CEO Bert Vescolani said in the release. “We’re fortunate to have the space, resources, and animal health and care expertise to provide the best possible care for these animals, and happy we could assist in this coordinated effort to give them a great new home.”
In 2019, a SeaQuest spokesperson said the suspension dealt with regulated animals and said the facility had to send some animals to other company parks.
“SeaQuest Littleton lost the Regulated Animals license which impacted a few exhibits that didn't involve guest interaction,” A SeaQuest spokesperson said in a 2019 statement. “Since this change took place, we have made some changes and are happy to welcome Peking ducks, Asian water monitors, and Savannah cats - all of which our guests can see, touch and feed! This change will enhance the guest experience and truly provide an ultimate interactive experience.”
While SeaQuest closed its Littleton location, the company continues to operate 7 other locations across the country.
In response to Denver Zoo's news release, SeaQuest shared the following response with Denver7:
SeaQuest has routinely worked well with other aquariums & zoos in both exchanging and re-homing animals. Regardless of the circumstance, the re-homing of our animals is always conducted with the well-being and safety of our animals as a top priority. We consider the distance to relocate to other locations, weather & logistic impacts during transport, and the sensitivity to the animal's mental and physical welfare. In this case, we opted to donate some of our animals to the Denver Zoo. SeaQuest has frequently rescued animals from improper care situations in the past, so we wanted the adjustment to be as smooth and easy as possible for our animals. We hope guests of Denver Zoo will continue to enjoy seeing our SeaQuest animals for many years to come as they settle into their homes there!
