Brookhaven nearing a decision on future of Holtsville zoo

Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico says town officials are nearing a decision about the future of the town-owned zoo in Holtsville that some animal welfare activists want to see closed.

During an interview with Newsday and in public remarks at a town board meeting, Panico said town officials were weighing “whether or not the town should be in the animal sanctuary space” and hinted a resolution could come by the end of the month.

He did not say what options he was considering but said the resolution could be tied to the town's 2026 budget.

“The seminal question is, number one, whether or not [the zoo] is germane to the operation of town government and, number two, … is Holtsville the best place for these animals?" Panico said Friday in a telephone interview.

On Thursday, Panico said at a town board meeting officials would "determine [the future of] Holtsville in a very short time" during town budget deliberations. The town will release a proposed 2026 budget at the end of September, Panico said. 

Calls from animal welfare activists to close the facility escalated last November when an American black bear named Honey was euthanized at the site. Critics said Honey had been mistreated. Town officials denied the allegations.

A Newsday investigation last year found some animals were kept in filthy enclosures, medical problems were ignored for weeks or months, and surgical procedures were performed without anesthetic by staff who lacked formal veterinary training or licenses, according to seven former employees who spoke to the paper. 

The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office announced an investigation of the facility after the Newsday story was published last December. Tania Lopez, spokeswoman for District Attorney Ray Tierney, declined to comment Monday.

The zoo, which houses more than 100 animals, including foxes, a bison, a bobcat, birds of prey, cows and chickens, is part of the town's Holtsville Ecology Site, which also includes swimming pools, hiking trails and picnic areas. The property, a former landfill, is run by the town highway department.

John Di Leonardo, president of Humane Long Island, an animal welfare group, called Panico's comments "a positive development."

"I think taxpayers want their highway dollars to go towards fixing roads, and they want their parks dollars to go towards maintaining their parks,” Di Leonardo said.

“It’s too late for Honey, but it’s not too late for 130 other animals at that facility to go to a reputable sanctuary where they can lead more natural lives,” he said Monday in a phone interview.

Debbie Metzler, senior director of captive wildlife at PETA, said she hopes the town will "pull every single cent from operating this dismal roadside zoo, because animals have suffered and died there from untreated illnesses and injuries, and they deserve better.”

Brookhaven Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro said the zoo's future is “too preliminary to discuss. We’re strictly talking finances.”

“That’s a budget discussion — what are the town’s priorities and what are they going to choose to invest in?” Losquadro said Friday in a phone interview.

Panico has previously floated options such as removing exotic species or transferring control of the zoo to another town department.

On Friday, he dismissed criticism of the zoo as "wildly overblown," but conceded that the town should reconsider taking in exotic animals such as bison and bears.

“Some have argued that there are better places for these animals,” he said. “The town should not be looking to take on injured, exotic-type animals. We should focus on the core use of town government," such as land use, zoning, road repair, parks and trash collection. 

By Carl MacGowan

carl.macgowan@newsday.com,tracy.tullis@newsday.comCarlMacGowan,

Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.