Paul Bunyan's Animal Land V.S. The Animal Liberation Front???

Video file date:4/30/2010

"What is a kangaroo doing in the middle of the road in Bemidji, Minnesota in November? Not that you'd expect to see it any other time," Luke Havumaki said.
Havumaki and his family were driving through Bemidji last November when they spotted a kangaroo on Highway 2.
"We got our cell phones out and did a Google search," he said.
As they searched to see where the kangaroo could have come from, a local animal park popped up, Paul Bunyan's Animal Land.
Little did he or anyone know, the animal escape wasn't the first, and wouldn't be the last.

"We had a neighbor call in and say they had seen the cubs playing with the dog in the yard and they were concerned," Beltrami County Sheriff Phil Hodapp said.

Just two weeks ago, it happened again when two 100 pound African lion cubs somehow escaped their cages at Paul Bunyan's Animal Land.
On the day they got out, KSAX received an e-mail from a concerned couple with a young child.

It read, "Here are the pictures my wife took of the lions in our yard, hardly cubs. We would like to feel comfortable having a camp fire on weekends."

Paul Bunyan's Animal Land's owner, Caara Holstrom, insists the cages are plenty strong and that she believes some sort of animal rights activist has been loosening their screws and setting them free.

In a statement, Holstrom says:
"The lion escape was a result of criminal activities which include tampering with the caging holding the cubs. Their escape was not a result of negligence on the part of Animal Land in any way, shape or form. At Animal Land's request, a criminal investigation has been opened with multiple law enforcement agencies..."

"Something happened that day and we're not sure what it was," Sheriff Hodapp said.

"To my knowledge, no animal rights activist has claimed responsibility for this action," Dallas Rising with the Animal Rights Coalition based out of Minneapolis said.

Rising said the chances of a group such as the Animal Liberation Front releasing the animals is highly unlikely.

"The chances of an animal rights activist or group releasing these animals and not taking credit for it are extremely slim," she said.

Rising said even underground organizations don't go undercover.

"They will contact the press, they put out a communique explaining 'We did this, this is why we did this..." she said.

No type of release from an animal rights organization was issued when the bull elk got out in '07, when the kangaroo got loose or with the cubs.

"You just hope nothing larger, like an older lion or more aggressive creature would be getting out where there are children or other pets for it to interact with," Havumaki said.

Nearly 100 animals live at Paul Bunyan's Animal Land, including a full grown African lion, a leopard and a Siberian tiger.
Full more of the story:
http://www.voiceofthevoiceless.org/roadside-zoo-blames-escaped-kangaroo-on-th...
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Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Paul Bunyan's Animal Land
• KSAX-TV
• Bemidji Minnesota
• Caara Holstrom
• ALF
• Animal Liberation Front
• Animal rights

[vegantree]

It's a crime that the animals are in those cages.

[1221solstice2012]

Most of these freakin people belong in cages or on chains. These poor animals, displaced in this world because of humans. Those cages are a crime. And that dog living on a chain it looks like. Ugh, the human race is disgusting.

[critterfreek82]

I've been there before!

[LegendxWind]

@kimberlily1983

It is better for an animal to have a taste of freedom before they die, than to live a life of confinement and die a depressed death.

[MrPitseleh]

Awww that kangaroo is so cute! If I saw him and he'd come up to me I'd have trouble not taking him home with me lol. Actually I would then I'd find him a good home with someone who has tons of land for him to live on not like those stupid Paul Bunyon cages.

[kimberlily1983]

Exactly, the ALF would take credit if they did it. They didn't have anything to do with this.

Why on Earth would they release cubs or kangaroos into an environment that they aren't used to and quite possibly wouldn't survive in? They would not put wild animals in a situation that was dangerous to them and humans.

[cloversweed]

@1221solstice2012 Yes, I commented too!

[cloversweed]

If we most confine and contain our animals to prevent their extinction or to prevent man-kind from further damage to these beautiful animals, then one would think that those in charge of the animal's preservation, well-being, nourishment and let us not forget their SAFETY!, would be the most concerned with the animals welfare!

[blakmira]

Paul Bunyon's are criminals keeping animals locked up in cages like this. They should be shut down and the animals taken back home where they belong. (and yes, these people belong in cages, not the animals) The ALF claims no responsibility but they get blamed anyway.