Monday languish hit even harder for Brookhaven locals on September 29, as the township announced the closing of a beloved zoo and animal refuge.
The primary reason for the planned closure of the Holtsville Ecology Site, according to the Town, is the cost to taxpayers.
Notably, the decision comes nearly a year after former staff members at the animal preserve alleged abuse, medical neglect, and inhospitable conditions on the premises.
In his announcement, Town Supervisor Dan Panico said the site’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,” Panico said.
He added that the operation of the “environmental haven” no longer aligns with the Town’s priorities moving forward.
“I think people's attitudes [about zoos] in general in society have changed,” Panico continued. “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, parks, and things of that nature.”
Once a landfill, the Holtsville Ecology Site and Animal Preserve became the main attraction of the grounds shortly after its original function was discontinued in 1974.
According to brookhavenny.gov, the Town of Brookhaven Highway Department helped transform the waste site 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.
It also offered avid botanists the opportunity to enhance their personal gardens with complimentary compost and greenhouse access available to the public.
As Ray Liotta bittersweetly reflected at the conclusion of his Goodfellas trial: “…and now it’s all over.”