Goats left for days without water in the blazing sun, pigeons being beheaded, or animals being thrown and hit. According to a group of locals, these are examples of abuses at Wilhelminapak Petting Farm in Best. They are therefore calling on the council to intervene. However, according to the council and the manager, there is no question of animal cruelty.
Studio040 spoke to several residents, all of whom told the same story: for years, the animals at the petting farm have been poorly treated. They have made numerous reports to Best council, but this has not led to any action, they say. “The managers are not animal lovers. That is clear. They only work here out of self-interest,” says one resident who lives near the farm and wishes to remain anonymous. “They need to leave,” another resident responds. “What they do to those animals is simply unacceptable. I have seen it with my own eyes. And the council does nothing.”
Rough treatment
Several residents have kept detailed records of how the managers treat the animals. And the list is long. From rabbits kept in small cages to a dead wallaby on the grass and a goat being harshly punished for ‘bad’ behaviour. The residents have also noticed a lively animal trade around the park.
Food leftovers
The manager says he is becoming a bit hopeless because of the complaints. Usually, the concerns are unfounded, he says. Moreover, he blames the visitors to the petting farm for throwing a lot of food scraps over the fence, which harms the animals. The donkey has fat deposits under its mane, which the manager says are caused by bread and other human food. “They throw watermelons, stale bread, and whole cakes over the fence here. Because of this, Hetty has been forced to leave,” he says, shaking his head, referring to the donkey.
Animal welfare
The municipality of Best states, when asked, that there are no problems with animal welfare at the petting farm. The city owns the facility but does not provide funding. “Volunteers monitor the animal welfare, and we have weekly contact with the volunteers,” a spokesperson said. “Things are largely going well at the farm. There is no evidence of systematic wrongdoing. There is also more attention than in the past to the breeding of animal groups. The setup of the farm is somewhat outdated.” What exactly the municipality means by the latter is unclear.
The farm does not actively focus on education for children or on building connections with the local community. The municipality says it would like to explore this. “This will be further developed in the near future.”
Reports
Since 2019, the municipality states, 33 reports have been received concerning the petting zoo. These reports related to ‘the animals, the layout of the site, and the park’. It is not clear what the exact nature of the reports or complaints is.
It does not appear that the main manager will be replaced in the short term, according to the response from the municipality of Best. However, residents around Wilhelminapark consider this a condition for making the park more animal-friendly. The manager’s plans are unclear.
Source: Studio040.nl
Translated by: Kirti Singh
