Strange but True: Lions, Tigers, and… Illicit Substances? Oh Wow!

Every now and then, we’re reminded that the world is not only stranger than we imagine, but stranger than we can imagine. 

In Coos County, Oregon, specifically at the West Coast Game Park Safari, there were months of abuse allegations. Law enforcement acted on these claims by conducting a raid at the facility with a search warrant. What they discovered went beyond just mistreated and hungry animals.

Upon raiding the decrepit zoo, more than 300 exotic animals were rescued. However, the discovery didn’t end there. Authorities stumbled upon caches of drugs, guns, and a substantial sum of over a million dollars in cash.

The varied assortment of rescued animals included big cats, chimpanzees, and camels. This operation unfolded in Coos County after Oregon State Police and federal agents took action based on the ongoing reports of animal abuse at the West Coast Game Park Safari.

That’s not the real eyebrow-raiser. Oh, that would have been enough for some lengthy jail sentences, as well as drawing the ire of animal lovers everywhere. But the lawmen found more than that.

The raid also revealed signs of a frightening criminal operation within the zoo.

At least 44 guns — including a machine gun — were found, along with 80 grams of methamphetamine and eight grams of cocaine.

Investigators also found about $1.6 million worth of cash, bonds and cashier checks, according to the Coos County Sheriff’s office.

Now, I’m a tad skeptical about the “machine gun,” as too many media outlets screech “OMG MACHINE GUN” whenever a firearm has a little black plastic or a Picatinny rail. But that’s not really the point; 44 guns, an amount of meth clearly meant for distribution, and $1.6 million? While the animals are starving?

The owner of the “zoo” is now in a cage himself.

All of the animals — including 15 big cats ranging from lions and tigers to leopards, jaguars, bobcats and more — have since been rehomed.

It would be appropriate for the seized cash to go to the care of the animals that were rescued from this awful place. I’m not sure that would or could happen, legally, but anyway, it would be the right thing to do.