DENVER (KDVR) — When SeaQuest in Littleton closed its doors earlier this month, the Denver Zoo and Downtown Aquarium stepped in to care for the animals in need of new homes.
SeaQuest has garnered complaints from animal rights activists since it opened in 2018, and it has received poor inspection reports from agencies like the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Colorado Department of Agriculture.
Past reporting: New SeaQuest aquarium fails 2 animal welfare inspections
The closure left many animals in need of new homes, including a keel-billed toucan, red-necked wallabies, African pancake tortoises, a New Guinea blue-tongued skink and several aquatic species.
The Denver Zoo and Downtown Aquarium have worked together over the past week to help monitor, evaluate and find homes for the animals, according to a release from the Denver Zoo.
The Denver Zoo will be the new home for nearly 130 animals from SeaQuest, many of which are species that are new to the zoo.
“We have a number of rescued animals living here at the Zoo and take the responsibility of bringing in these animals very seriously,” President and CEO Bert Vescolani said. “We’re fortunate to have the space, resources, and animal health and care expertise to provide the best possible care for these animals, and happy we could assist in this coordinated effort to give them a great new home.”