Animals at the Cherokee Bear Zoo in North Carolina. Photo by rebel3969 / Trip Advisor
Two members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will be moving forward with their lawsuit against a bear zoo on the tribe's reservation in North Carolina. Elders Amy Walker and Peggy Hill say the Cherokee Bear Zoo is violating the Endangered Species Act. They want the animals released and placed in a sanctuary. The zoo sought dismissal of the suit, saying the plaintiffs lacked standing under the law. But Judge Martin Reidinger denied the motion last month. The zoo also said the bears there are not grizzlies and don't fall under the protections of the law. The species, however, wasn't named in court documents, The Smoky Mountain News reported. A different bear zoo on the reservation closed in 2013 after being fined by the Department of Agriculture. The animals were taken to a sanctuary in Texas.
In addition to the Cherokee Bear Zoo, another facility remains in operation on the reservation.
Get the Story:Cherokee Bear Zoo lawsuit moves forward (The Smoky Mountain News 7/2)
Judge refuses to dismiss Cherokee Bear Zoo lawsuit (The Asheville Citizen-Times 6/19)
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