Approximately one and a half years ago Lex Salisbury, President and CEO of Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo joined another partner, a veterinarian in St.Petersburg Florida in purchasing 260 acres just outside of Lakeland Florida.
Lex and his partner are building a massive exotic animal game park. The exotic animals initially expected to be included within this "game park" are zebras, waterbuck and African cattle. Lex has stated that he hopes to bring cheetah, giraffes and maybe even elephants to his latest business venture.
"Safari Wild" as the game park will be called is scheduled to open in 2009. Small tours in ground vehicles will serve as the means for visitors to get close to the exotic animals of the park. Lex announced that exotic animals for this venture have been collected from other countries as well as from institutions around the United States.
Lex has publicly stated that he had signed a memorandum of understanding with the executive committee of Lowry Park Zoo's board of directors. Lex has pledged that his new exotic animal park's relationship with the zoo will be non-competitive. Lex also stated that surplus animals from the zoo will be welcome in his exotic animal park. Learn more about the exploitation of surplus zoo animals.
On Saturday April 19th, 15 Patas monkey's escaped from Safari Wild, after having arrived from Puerto Rico on Thursday April 17th. The Tampa Tribune Newspaper and MSNBC articles linked below detail these animals escape.
We've also included a link to the section of our groups web effort detailing the numerous animals that have escaped from their exhibits at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo.
-Red Tape Entangles Lex Salisbury's Safari Wild Exotic Animal Park: State and County Officials Continue to Express Numerous Environmental and Safety Concerns. Published in the Tampa Tribune Newspaper
Animal Welfare Note:
Tampa's Zoo Advocates continues to request information from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission with regard to the Patas monkey's that escaped from Lex Salisbury's Safari Wild Exotic Animal Park as well as the numerous animals that have escaped from their enclosures at Lowry Park Zoo. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission continues to decline Tampa's Zoo Advocates request for the facts regarding the animal's that have escaped from Lowry Park Zoo and Safari Wild.
-Three months after a group of 15 Patas monkeys escaped from Lex Salisbury's Safari Wild Exotic Animal Park in Polk County, one-third of the fugitive primates remain at large and state officials say it is anyone's guess as to when they will be captured. Gary Morse, a spokesman with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission stated that "All the details will come out in our final investigation,". "Who knows when that's going to be." Full Story Published in the St.Petersburg Times Newspaper
-Continued Conflict of Interest: Lex Salisbury's Safari Wild Exotic Animal Park Website is Registered and Maintained by Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo and it's Staff.
Lex Salisbury and Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo's Board of Director's continue to claim that no conflict of interest exists between our community's tax-payer supported zoo, facts indicate otherwise. All registration, administrative, technical and billing support is linked directly to Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo. Published by WHOIS
-Another 3 of Lex Salisbury's Safari Wild's Patas Monkey's Caught by Trappers, 7 Remain Free: Published in Polk County's Newspaper "The Ledger".
Animal Welfare Note:
-Lex Salisbury has publicly stated that these recaptured patas monkey's will be relegated to spending their lives in cages.
-Trappers Catch Another 3 of Lex Salisbury's (CEO and President of Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo) Safari Wild Monkeys: Published in the
June 16th, 2008: Tampa Tribune June 17th, 2008: Tampa Tribune
June 16th, 2008: St.Petersburg Times
Animal Welfare Notes:
-Lex Salisbury has publicly stated that these recaptured patas monkey's will be relegated to spending their lives in cages.
-Lex Salisbury has stated that these patas monkeys as well as the Zoo's new white "albino" alligators were "rescued" from the wild.
Natural Selection or Commercial Exploitation? .....You Decide.
-Safari Wild's recaptured patas monkeys are being housed at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo.
Continuing Conflict of Interest? ......You Decide.
-Agritourism Doesn't Justify Lex Salisbury's Safari Wild Exotic Animal Park: Published in the Tampa Tribune Newspaper.
-Lex Salisbury's (CEO and President of Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo) Wild Safari Case Offers Window Into Polk County's Planning Morass: Published in Polk County's Newspaper " The Ledger".
-State of Florida Wants Further Study of Lex Salisbury's (CEO and President of Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo) Safari Wild Exotic Animal Park:
Florida State regulations require governments that make development decisions regarding projects within areas of critical state concern to forward those decisions to DCA for review, Polk County never did that in this case: Published in Polk County's Newspaper "The Ledger".
-State, Neighbors Aren't Wild About Lex Salisbury's (CEO and President of Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo) Exotic Animal Park: Department of Community Affairs Issues a "Stop Work Order" for Safari Wild: Published in the Tampa Tribune
-Continuing Conflict of Interest: 2 Patas Monkeys Recaptured at Lex Salisbury's Safari Wild Moved to Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo. Published in the Orlando Sentinel
- The existence of Lex Salisbury's Safari Wild exotic animal park was a surprise to many neighboring residents as well as some Polk County Officials.
"Polk County planners ruled in 2006 that the proposed uses at Safari Wild should be classified as "Recreation Low-Intensity," which the county's development code defines as, "Areas for public and private passive outdoor recreational activities. Typical uses include, but are not limited to, parks, playgrounds, and walking, jogging, hiking, and bicycle paths/trails." Read the full story published in Polk County's Newspaper: "The Ledger"
-Lex Salisbury's Safari Wild Jailbreak Monkeys Still Free in Polk County's Green Swamp: Reported by the St.Petersburg Times
Note: Lex Salisbury has publicly stated that when these monkey's are caught they will be relegated to spending their life in a cage.
- Lex Salisbury's Safari Wild has entered into contract with the Public Relation and Advertising Agency of Fry-Hammond-Barr.
Fry-Hammond-Barr is the firm that has represented Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo on numerous projects.
Click Here and select "skip intro" and then select "News" for Press Releases dated: 2/18/08 and 5/29/07.
-Safari Wild's Public Relation Firm Announces 2 of 15 Runaway Monkey's Captured (Tampa Tribune)
-Lex Salisbury's Safari Park Plan Raises Concern About Possible Conflict With Lowry Park Zoo (Tampa Tribune)
-Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo Becomes Involved With Safari Wild's Primate Rescue (Reported by WFTV Channel 9 News)
-Polk's Primate Recapture Depends on "Monkey Time" (Tampa Tribune & MSNBC)
-Chopper Pilot Spots Escaped Monkey's Under Tree In Polk County (Tampa Tribune)
- Monkey's Escape From Polk County Facility (MSNBC)
-Monkey's Made Like a Banana and Split (Tampa Tribune)
How You Can Help
Please contact the Polk County Commission and urge them? for the welfare of animals and the safety of the public? to take a close look at Lex Salisbury?s plans for Safari Wild. In light of the recent escape, perhaps a new zoo is not the best thing for the county.
Contact:
Commissioner Sam Johnson (Chairman)
E-mail: samjohnson@polk-county.net
Commissioner Jean Reed (Vice Chairman)
E-mail: jeanreed@polk-county.net
Commissioner Bob English
E-mail: bobenglish@polk-county.net
Commissioner Randy Wilkinson
E-mail: randywilkinson@polk-county.net
Commissioner Jack Myers
E-mail: jackmyers@polk-county.net
A Continuing Pattern of Concern:
-Code 1 Animal Escapes at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo
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 | Tampa's Zoo Advocates encourages you to contact the media in your local community regarding the welfare and safety of the animals, staff and visitors of Lowry Park Zoo and Safari Wild.
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