Wallaby Drowned In Aquarium At SeaQuest In Littleton, Federal Inspectors Report
LITTLETON, Colo. (CBS4) -- A wallaby named Ben drowned in an aquarium at SeaQuest Littleton, according to a report by federal inspectors. This is not the first time the facility has been cited for unsafe conditions.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection report, the wallabies are allowed access to the water in the aquarium. There are stairs leading up to the top of the aquarium -- but nothing inside that would allow an animal to climb out.
The wallaby was found dead on Sept. 17, 2020. A manager said construction work was being done on the floors the night before, and the noise may have frightened the wallaby causing it to jump into the water.
The facility was cited for not having the proper enclosures for animals and has implemented new procedures since the incident.
SeaQuest opened in Jefferson County in 2018, bringing more than 300 species of wildlife for public viewing at the Southwest Plaza Mall.
SeaQuest had numerous violations in the following year, including a sloth named Flash who was burned on the face twice by an exposed heat lamp in his enclosure. It happened once in mid-October and again in early November, according to the Denver Post. SeaQuest workers failed to notify a veterinarian about the sloth's injuries, instead treating it with honey, coconut oil and Neosporin.
Flash was later relocated to SeaQuest Roseville in Minnesota.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife suspended the facility's zoological parks license for two years, but that only required them to give up a handful of species regulated by CPW.
