Probation Extended At Woodbridge Mall SeaQuest After More Complaints

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — In July, we reported that the SeaQuest aquarium inside the Woodbridge Center Mall was put on a one-year probation by the state of New Jersey, due to 100 animals dying there in the past five years it's been open.

That probation was supposed to end Sept. 27.

However, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) told SeaQuest in June the probation has now been extended indefinitely. The probation means SeaQuest may not acquire any more exotic wildlife, nor may SeaQuest add any new regulated wildlife interactions to their facility.

The June 25 violation letter was signed by Assistant NJ DEP Commissioner David Golden and was sent to SeaQuest Woodbridge, LLC, attention Dennis Ferriera, 250 Woodbridge Center Drive.

SeaQuest is now in serious jeopardy of having their exotic wildlife permits permanently revoked, the state of NJ warned, which is a similar warning it gave SeaQuest last year. If this happens, all of the animals on site will be confiscated by the state.

"Due to the number and severity of the violations listed, SeaQuest is in jeopardy of having their Exotic and Nongame Animal Exhibitor and Endangered Species permits revoked, which also means the confiscation of the regulated wildlife currently at SeaQuest," wrote Commissioner Golden.

Here is the first letter the NJ DEP sent in September 2023 informing SeaQuest it would be put on probation: https://jumpshare.com/s/v0Cnre...

And here is the 32-page notice of violation sent SeaQuest on June 25, informing the probation was extended: https://jumpshare.com/s/N7rcwv...

The June 25 letter from the NJ DEP is 32 pages long and it includes a long list of violations the state says SeaQuest has committed in caring for its animals. The state said it investigated after two anonymous people submitted complaints to the NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife "with detailed declarations, which included videos and photographs."

Here are some of the findings from the state of NJ:

• "SeaQuest has repeatedly failed to provide adequate enclosures, which has resulted in unnecessary illnesses, injuries and deaths to animals."
• "The enclosures in SeaQuest’s facility are not constructed in a way to prevent the animals from injuring themselves. In fact, the enclosures were so small or so poorly constructed that they resulted in (animals) fighting with each other. Poor husbandry resulted in the two Asian water monitors to frequently attack each other. The two Asian water monitors continued to attack each other and cause each other injuries for at least two years."
• Aug. 4, 2021: "Three photographs show a female Asian water monitor with bloody wounds on both sides of her face, which were reportedly inflicted by the male Asian water monitor."
• December 13, 2021: "One photograph shows one of the Asian water monitors with burns on the side of its body. These burns are indicative of the heat lamp being too close to the animal’s basking spot. This situation was evidently not rectified, as seven more photographs dated January 5, 2022, almost a whole month later, show more burn marks on both the Asian water monitors."
• Feb. 18, 2022: "It can only be concluded that the two Asian water monitors were aggressive towards one another enough to cause serious injuries that made them bleed all over the enclosure."
• The male Asian water monitor was euthanized per veterinary recommendation on August 8, 2023. Fish & Wildlife conducted an inspection after the euthanasia and expressed concern that the male’s euthanasia was a result of fatal injuries inflicted by the female. Fish & Wildlife requested a copy of the male Asian water monitor’s necropsy, but SeaQuest failed to provide this document. The female Asian water monitor was then also euthanized per veterinarian recommendation on October 19, 2023.
• Aug. 12, 2022: Nine giant day geckos are kept crowded in one 20-gallon cage and their fights with each other are so bad that geckos have gashes with their organs showing.
• According to SeaQuest’s third quarterly report dated September 30, 2022, nine giant day geckos were transferred to NJ Exotic Pets in Lodi, NJ on September 15, 2022. In an email dated January 30, 2024, NJ Exotic Pets confirmed receipt of these animals, stating that these animals were in “terrible shape” and were missing limbs. "The fact that SeaQuest housed all giant day geckos in such a small enclosure and allowed this aggressive behavior to continue for nearly a year without intervening or providing proper veterinary care demonstrates that SeaQuest was in violation of NJFW Exotic and Nongame Permit Regulations."

• September 25, 2022: "Five photographs show a blue-tongue skink with damaged toes as a result of stuck shed. Stuck shed, which can result as a result of poor temperature and humidity, can cause infections, which may result in death if left untreated."
• November 28, 2021: "The female prehensile porcupine escaped her enclosure. She was able to pry off the mesh at the top of the enclosure and escape overnight into the aquarium. She was later found sleeping in the rafters above the shark and eel tank."
• During an inspection dated August 24, 2022, NJFW personnel witnessed three adult South American coatimundi being housed in a medium-sized dog crate. They were climbing all over each other just to be able to move around the crate. While NJFW understands this was a temporary housing solution while the facility was being deep cleaned after a cockroach infestation, the size of the dog crate did not allow the animals to safely move around and perform their natural behavior patterns. Even off-exhibit animals must be housed in accordance with NJFW regulations.

• And finally, sea otters can "easily" reach out of their enclosure and bite someone walking by, which could be a small child, the state warned.

NJ SeaQuest Put On Probation After Nearly 100 Animals Died There (July 2024)