Monday morning languish hit even harder for Brookhaven locals on September 29th, as the greater township revealed the closing of a beloved zoo and animal refuge.
The main reason for the planned termination of the Holtsville Ecology Site, the Town says, is the cost to taxpayers.
Notably, the decision comes nearly a year after former staff members at the animal preserve levied allegations of abuse, medical neglect and inhospitable conditions on the premises.
In his announcement, Town Supervisor Dan Panico said the location’s birds and mammals will be transferred to SPCA-approved rescue facilities. "We want to make sure all the animals go to a place where they should be," said Panico.
Operation of the “environmental haven” did not align with the Town’s priorities moving forward.
"I think people's attitudes [about zoos] in general in society have changed,” Panico added. “It's so far out of the scope of what the town government should be doing, that especially in these budgetary times… you should dedicate the precious tax dollars you get toward the operation of the building department and parks and things of that nature."
Once a landfill, the Holtsville Ecology Site and Animal Preserve replaced the main attraction of the grounds shortly after its former function was discontinued in 1974.
According to brookhavenny.gov, the Town of Brookhaven Highway Department helped transform the waste dump into a “thriving recreational and educational facility” that included a triple pool complex, an Exercise Trail with Fitness Course, picnic areas and fascinating wildlife—bobcats, buffalo, and bald eagles, to name a few—out the wazoo.
Moreover, it was a place where avid botanists could give their personal gardens a boost courtesy of a complimentary compost and greenhouses available for public use at the facility.
As Ray Liotta bittersweetly surmised at the culmination of his “Goodfellas” trial: “...and now it’s all over.”