An Entertainment Abuses Article from All-Creatures.org

SeaQuest Otters Tortured Inside A New Jersey Mall

From Unparalleled Suffering
September 2024

They hang out and stand desperately by the section of plexiglass that’s closest to the food dispenser—begging with their eyes and movements, hoping that people who come by will grab some feed and drop it down onto their dirty floor. Their life is simply pathetic.⁣ 

PETITION: Close Down SeaQuest in Woodbridge NJ Center Mall

The otters kept inside of the Woodbridge Center Mall in New Jersey watch visitors from the section of plexiglass closest to the food dispenser hoping that they’ll get fed.

These two perpetually tortured otters live inside of the Woodbridge Center Mall in New Jersey. They are two of the many animals robbed of a decent life for the company SeaQuest, which currently has seven national locations that exhibit land-based and sea-based animals for human entertainment, curiosity, and profit. Not only are the nonhuman animals kept by Seaquest living unhappy lives, but judging by how many ex-employees have come forward with information about Seaquest’s malpractices and incessant use of cutting corners and ignoring problems, many employees aren’t so happy either.

These poor otters don’t even know what the outside is. They are surrounded by plexiglass to keep them from escaping. The walls around them are partially painted with trees, mountains, waterfalls, and a sky—none of which can trick the animals or even satisfy the tiniest bit of their natural instincts, needs, and desires.

All this wall does is make the area appear nicer for SeaQuest’s visitors. The otters don’t know what something so basic like sunshine and fresh air feels like as they only know artificial lighting and mall air. They hangout and stand desperately by the section of plexiglass that’s closest to the food dispenser—begging with their eyes and movements, hoping that people who come by will grab some feed and drop it down onto their dirty floor. Their life is simply pathetic.⁣

An otter looks up at me with curiosity. Probably not curiosity about who I am, but curiosity about if I’ll be the next human who drops food into their enclosure.

I documented these otters and other beings held captive at SeaQuest in New Jersey a little while ago when I went to go check the location out with Rian from the sanctuary, Uncle Neil’s Home, and two other women from the activist group Revolution Philadelphia. Fortunately, it seems like it’s only going to be a matter of time before this SeaQuest location goes down in history and disappears for good. A recent article which covered the latest of the new bi-weekly protests at this location mentioned that the NJ Department of Environmental Protection has SeaQuest on indefinite probation, which bans them from acquiring new wildlife after they had so many deaths in recent years and puts their business license at risk and the potential for the surrendering of all their animals.

George, another tortured soul at SeaQuest in Woodbridge, lives in isolation in his pathetic little enclosure. A SeaQuest employee mentioned that the staff love these animals like their own children.

The sanctuary, Uncle Neil’s Home, is hoping to one day get George the pig out of his current hellhole. He will be allowed to live an infinitely better life at the New Jersey safe haven for farmed animals, which will honor George with a dignified and respected life that he was worthy of since the day he was born. The lack of effort this facility even devotes to making the animals’ enclosures look livable and pleasant is truly astonishing.

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Posted on All-Creatures.org: September 2, 2024
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