A second warning has been issued to the Austin Aquarium by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) following multiple animal att...

A second warning has been issued to the Austin Aquarium by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) following multiple animal attacks on customers. The USDA said the aquarium failed to keep animals and guests safe between June 2022 and May 2023. The first warning came in 2022, after two alleged animal bite incidents. A report claims there have been three different violations of customers being attacked. One alleged violation said an adult customer was reportedly jumped on, bitten on the face and scratched on the lip by a ring-tailed lemur. Another violation included a child bitten by a kinkajou and another child bitten by a ring-tailed lemur. All of these instances required medical attention. These violations add to the aquarium's history of safety issues. Back in 2019, the parents of a 10-year-old girl sued the aquarium, claiming its staff failed to prevent a lemur from biting their daughter. After the 2023 attack, PETA sent a letter to Austin's Animal Advisory Commission urging its members to approve a proposal that would recommend banning all public interactions with wild animals at for-profit zoos and aquariums not accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums – including the Austin Aquarium. The aquarium could face criminal prosecution if violations persist. https://lnkd.in/g5ZfD6zh