AND
AND NEGLECT... AT WILD4@LIFE IN NEED IN SOUTHERN INDIANA -- ALL 4@
POINTING TO ONE
MAN AND HIS EXOTIC ANIMALS. OUR
FOCUS TEAM TOOK THOSE
ALLEGATIONS TO THE USDA -- AND THIS WEEK4@
THE FEDS ORDERED TIM STARK TO
CEASE AND
DESIST.
TONIGHT, SHAY MCALISTER4@
CONTINUES
HER INVESTIGATION WITH A TRIP TO
CHARLESTOWN TO MEET WITH STARK.
IN A PROFANITY RIDDLED
INTERVIEW-- HE BLAMES EVERYONE ELSE.
4@
4@
4@ TWO
4@ TWO TALL IRON GATES 4@GREET YOU
4@ TWO TALL IRON GATES 4@GREET YOUT
THE EDGE OF TIM STARK'S
FACILITY-- POSTERS WARNS INTRUDERS TO KEEP THEIR4@
DISTANCE.
TIM STARK KNEW WE WERE COMING--
4@
AND HE
4@ AND HE
4@ AND HE INVITED US IN.
TIM STARK
CLIP 1
1212
"AM I PERFECT? HELL NO I'M NOT.
DON'T
DON'T
DON'T CLAIM TO BE, DON'T WANT TO BE. BUT I
STAND MY GROUND THAT MY ANIMALS
4@
ARE
4@ ARE
4@ ARE TAKEN CARE OF. I DO NOT ABUSE
ANIMALS, I
DO NOT NEGLECT ANIMALS." WE
TALKED TO SEVEN WHISTLEBLOWERS--
WITH SERIOUS ACCUSATIONS--
DESCRIBING MOLDY FOOD, LACK OF WATER,
DIRTY CAGES AND AILMENTS THAT
DON'T
RECEIVE VET CARE-- STARKS SAYS4@
THE
EXPLANATION IS SIMPLE. TIM STARK
CLIP 2
CLIP 2
CLIP 2 455
455
455 4@4@
4@4@
4@4@ "THEY DIDN'T DO THEIR JOB- THEN
THEY WANT TO POINT THE FINGER AT
ME. BECAUSE THEY4@'RE WORTHLESS
PIECES4@ OF4@ AND THEY DIDN'T DO THEIR JOB.
THEY
WOULD COME TO ME AND AN ANIMAL
IS
ALREADY PRETTY MUCH LAYING THERE
ON ITS
ON ITS
ON ITS DEATH BED AND I'M LIKE WHAT THE
HELL? WHY
HELL? WHY
HELL? WHY WASN'T THIS REPORTED TO ME TWO OR THREE
DAYS AGO? WELL WE DIDN'T LOO4@K
WASN'T THIS REPORTED TO ME TWO OR THREE DAYS AGO? WELL WE DIDN'T LOO4@KT
IT, WE4@
IT, WE4@
IT, WE4@ DIDN'T SEE IT. SO IN OTHER WORDS- YOU
DIDN'T DO YOUR DAMN JOB." 525 HE
POINTS THE FINGER AT HIS STAFF -
BUT
BUT
BUT USDA
BUT USDA INSPECTION REPORTS SUPPORT
THEIR CLAIMS.
THEIR CLAIMS. TIM STARK CLIP 3
632
"ARE THE INSPECTION REPORTS
WRONG?
MOST OF THEM- YES."
MORE SPECIFICALLY-- HE BLAMES
BAD4@
INSPECTION REPORTS ON ONE
SPECIFIC4@
INSPECTOR.
SPECIFIC4@ INSPECTOR. TIM STARK
CLIP 5
334
"I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND HALF THE
THAT CAME OUT OF HIS MOUTH. THE
ONE THING I DID UNDERSTAND WAS
THIS IS A COMPLAINT, THAT IS A COMPLAINT AND I'M STANDING
THERE
THERE LIKE WHAT THE ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT. HOW DO YOU
GO FROM A PERFECT RECORD TO ALL
THE4@
THE4@
THE4@ SUDDEN A4@N 18 PAGE WRITE UP?" 2
STARKS SAYS IT WAS DIFFICULT TO
GET
GET
GET CLARIFICATION FR4@OM THE GOVERNMENT AGENCY-- HE DIDN'T
ALWAYS KNOW WHAT HE4@
NEEDED TO FIX.
TIM STARK
CLIP 3
1045
4@"YOU WANT ME TO ABIDE BY
REGULATIONS
OR LAWS? THEN GIVE ME THE4@
REGULATIONS
AND LAWS AND SHUT THE
UP. YOU THINK SOMETHING IS OUT
OF
COMPLIANCE? SHOW IT TO ME AND
I'LL FIX IT
IMMEDIATELY. I WILL NOT TOLERATE
SOMEBODY COMING AND TELL ME-
THIS IS WRONG, THAT IS WRONG, FIX THIS4@
OR FIX
OR FIX
THAT
THAT BECAUSE I SAID SO. " WE ASKED STARK ABOUT CERTAIN INCIDENTS-- LIKE THE JANUARY
2016 FIRE
THAT KILLED 41 ANIMALS. TIM4@
STARK
CLIP 44@
1117
"THAT'S THE BEGINNING OF MY PETA
WAR."
WAR."
WAR." "YOU THINK PETA STARTED THE FIRE?" "DAMN RIGHT I DO AND WE
HAVE PROOF THAT PETA STARTED4@
FIRES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY."
"DO YOU HAVE ANY PROOF THAT THEY
STARTED THE FIRE HERE?"
"NO. NOPE. BUT I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM
ACCUSING THE
OF IT."
HE ALSO BLAMES PETA FOR AN
INCIDENT WITH4@4@
TIGER CUBS.
TIGER CUBS. 4@
4@
4@ ACCORDING TO USDA
PAPERWORKFACILITY' S VET DECLAWED THE CUBS AT WILDLIFE IN
NEED, THEIR PAWS BECAME
INFECTED-- STARK SAYS THAT VET WAS THEN
"OUT OF THE
COUNTRY" SO THE CUBS ULTIMATELY
DIED. TIM STARK
CLIP 6 1043
TS "THE ACCUSATIONS THAT THEY
MADE THAT
THE TIGER CUBS WERE INJURED AND
ENDED UP4@
ENDED UP4@ DEAD- WELL GUESS WHAT- DAMN I HAD AN
UNDERCOVER SPY HERE ON MY
PROPERTY. WONDER WHY AND HOW ALL
4@
THAT
4@ THAT
THAT
HAPPENED
HAPPENED THEN. "4@ SM "SO ARE YOU SAYING HE WAS RESPONSIBLE
FOR THOSE CUBS DYING?' T4@S "DAN
RIGHT HE WAS."
1115 SM "WHAT DID HE DO?"
TS "DON'T KNOW. IF WE KNEW THAT
4@
SM "WHAT DID HE DO?" TS "DON'T KNOW. IF WE KNEW THAT 4@4@
IT WOULD4@
ALL BE DONE AND OVER WITH." WE
REACHED OUT TO PETA ABOUT THE
ACCUSATIONS THEY SENT US A
STATEMENT
CITING A FEDERAL JUDGE RULING
WHERE4@
STARK'S VET ADMITS TO DECLAWING
THE TIGER
THE TIGER
THE TIGER CUBS, THE STATEMENT GOES ON TO SAY:
"HIS CLAIMS ABOUT PETA ARE,
QUITE
OBVIOUSLY, FALSE."
TIM STARK CALLS MOST OF THE
ACCUSATIONS4@
AGAINST HIM HEARSAY-- HE SAYS
THERE'S NO4@
EVIDENCE TO BACK THEM UP. TIM4@
STARK
STARK
CLIP
CLIP 2
CLIP 2 1245 SM "WOULD YOU SAY ALL OF YOUR
ANIMALS
1245 SM "WOULD YOU SAY ALL OF YOUR ANIMALS4@
LIVE IN A SAFE HABITAT?" TS
"YEAH- CAUSE THEY DON'T GET HURT
IN
IN
IN THEIR
IN THEIR HABITAT. SO EVIDENTLY ITS
SAFE."
SAFE."
SAFE." SM
SAFE." SM "IS IT APPROPRIATE FOR EACH4@ OF THE
ANIMAL TYPES?"
TS "YES"
SM "WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO SHOW
US
US
US THAT?"
US THAT?" TS "NO."
SM "WHY NOT?"
TS "BECAUSE YOU
REPORTERS SUCK. I GUESS THAT'S4@
THE
SIMPLEST WAY TO PUT THAT." HE
ALSO REFUSED TO SHOW US PROOF
THAT
HE REHABILITATES AND RELEASES4@
ANIMALS--
LIKE HIS WEBSITE CLAIMS. TIM
STARK
CLIP 2
5554@
SM "HOW MANY ANIMALS HAVE YOU
REHABILITATED AND RELEASED?" TS
"OVER ALL THE YEARS?"
SM "MMHMM" TS "HELL- THOUSANDS AND
THOUSANDS."
SM "AND DO YOU HAVE ANY WRITTEN
PROOF? DOCUMENTS OF THAT?"
TS "YEAH. YEAH" SM "IS IT EASY TO SEE? DO YOU
SHARE IT WITH
PEOPLE?"4@
TS "NO. AIN'T NOBODY'S
BUSINESS."
HE WOULDN'T SHOW US PROOF OF HOW
MANY
MANY
MANY ANIMALS HE'S SAVED-- HE ALSO4@ WOULDN'T
ELABORATE ON HOW HE KILLS. WE
ASKED-- AFTER READING A USDA4@
INSPECTION REPORT DETAILING A
DISCUSSION WITH STARK.
STARK ADMITTING TO INSPECTORS HE
4@
"EUTHANIZED" A SNOW LEOPARD BY
BEATING IT
WITH A BASEBALL BAT MULTIPLE
TIMES.4@
HE TOLD US HIS MORE RECENT
EUTHANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN BIRDS.
TIM STARK
TIM STARK
TIM STARK CLIP 2 910
4@TS "I KNOW WHEN A BIRDS BROUGT
IN,4@
IN,4@
IN,4@ PRETTY MUCH AT THAT POINT, WHETHER OR
NOT ITS SALVAGEABLE OR NOT. I
DON'T NEED4@
NOBODY ELSE TELLING ME THAT." SM
"HOW DO YOU EUTHANIZE THOSE
BIRDS?" TS "USUALLY ITS JUST A HUMANE
EUTHANASIA-
ITS DONE QUICK, ITS DONE SIMPLE.
4@
EUTHANASIA- ITS DONE QUICK, ITS DONE SIMPLE. 4@4@
DONE
4@4@ DONE
4@4@ DONE AND OVER WITH."
SM "CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THAT
IS?"
TS "NO. ITS NOBODY'S BUSINESS4@
HOW I DO
THINGS. NOBODY'S BUSINESS. I DO
EXACTLY WHAT I'M REQUIRED TO DO.
4@
4@ WHAT
4@ WHAT IS HUMANE ABOUT EUTHANASIA?
4@ THE
4@ THE
4@ THE FINAL RESULT IS
DEATH."4@
951
DEATH."4@ 951 DEATH IS WHAT THE WHISTLEBLOWERS
4@
FEAR MOST-- UNEXPLAINED,
4@4@
4@4@
4@4@ UNNECESSARY ANIMAL DEATH.
ANONYMOUS VOLUNTEER 1815
I HAVE TO HOPE THAT SOMEONE WILL
SAY
SAY
SAY LETS
SAY LETS DO RIGHT BY THESE ANIMALS-
LETS
LETS
LETS FIND
LETS FIND THEM HOMES, LETS GIVE THEM
PROPER CARE. I HOPE SOMEONE WILL
TAKE4@
TAKE4@
TAKE4@ PITY ON THEM. SHAY TAG4@
SO WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
WHERE DO THE ANIMALS GO? THERE'S
4@
ONLY ONE AGENCY THAT CAN
ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS-- THAT'S
THE USDA-- AND WE'VE CALLED,
WE'VE SENT EMAILS, WE'VE SHARED YOUR
CONCERNS-- AND
THEY HAVE NOT PROVIDED ANSWERS.
WHAT WE CAN TELL YOU IS TIM
STARK HAS 35 DAYS TO APPEAL THE DECISION
AND HE TOLD4@
US HE PLANS TO DO JUST THAT. FOR
4@
4@ FOCUS-
4@ FOCUS- I'M SHAY MCALISTER.
TO SEE ALL OF OUR COVERAGE OF
THIS STORY... INCLUDING