West Coast Game Park Safari

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West Coast Game Park
West Coast Game Park Safari - Bella the lion - Bandon Oregon.jpg
Bella the lion cub
West Coast Game Park Safari
43°00′36″N124°24′55″W / 43.009957°N 124.415284°W / 43.009957; -124.415284
Date opened1968 (1968)
Location46914 Highway 101
Bandon, Oregon, United States
Land area21 acres (8.5 ha)[ citation needed ]
No. of animals450 [1]
No. of species75 [2] [3]
Annual visitors60,000 [4]
OwnerBob Tenney
Website westcoastgameparksafari.com

The West Coast Game Park Safari was a walk-through safari park in Bandon, Oregon, United States. It opened in 1968, [1] and closed in 2025 following investigation into criminal activities. [5]

Contents

The park was a petting zoo and captive breeding program, including endangered species such as the snow leopard. [6] They provided big cats to other parks and zoos. [6] Animals at the facility included snow leopards, African lions, Bengal tigers, emu, capybara, and cougars. [3] [7]

West Coast Game Park Safari was not AZA Accredited. [8] They were a roadside zoo which let the public interact with big cats, similar to those featured on the Tiger King series. They had multiple USDA violations in 2015 & 2016, including 4 critical violations in their June 22, 2016 inspection report. [9] The critical violations included mishandling adult & baby animals, as well as shooting 2 of their own bears. [9] During one of the visits by USDA, a dead tiger was found in a food container. [10] In 2020 they were listed on PETA's Highway Hellholes: Roadside Zoos on the Blacklist. [11]

In 1985, Bob Tenney, the park owner, stated the game park received 60,000 visitors per year. [4]

Two American black bears from the game park were bought in 2001 and 2002 by Baylor University, whose mascot is the Baylor Bears. [12]

On May 18, 2021, West Coast Game Park Safari was featured in the Showcase on The Price Is Right. [13]

In May 2025, a criminal investigation into West Coast Game Safari began, focusing on alleged violations related to animal welfare, permitting, licensing, and business practices. Oregon State Police served search warrants and 44 guns, 80 grams of methamphetamine and about $1.6 million in "cash, cashier’s checks, bonds, and certificates" were found at the safari park. 310 animals were also seized. [14] After these items were found, the owner Brian Tenney was arrested and charged with methamphetamine possession, manufacturing and attempted distribution. [10]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "About Our Park". West Coast Game Park Safari. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  2. "Creatures Tamer at Bandon Park". The Register-Guard . June 24, 1190. p. 30. Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  3. 1 2 Kuechle, Jeff (April 9, 2006). "Combing the Coast - More Outdoors (advertorial)". The Oregonian . p. Special 26.
  4. 1 2 "Game Park's Owner Opposes Funding for Wildlife Safari". The Register-Guard. December 21, 1985. p. 3. Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  5. Fortsch, Sana Aljobory (May 27, 2025). "Drugs, guns, $1.6M found during raid of Oregon game park, over 300 animals relocated". KATU. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
  6. 1 2 Griffith, John (March 14, 1990). "Endangered Leopards Thrive in Bandon Game Park". The Oregonian. p. B02.
  7. "Getting to Know You (picture caption)". The Oregonian. April 3, 2006. p. B02.
  8. "Currently Accredited Zoos and Aquariums | AZA". www.aza.org. Archived from the original on November 1, 2019. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  9. 1 2 "APHIS Public Search Tool". aphis-efile.force.com. Archived from the original on August 5, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  10. 1 2 "Police arrest Coos County zoo owner after finding meth, guns and $1.6M". opb. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
  11. "Highway Hellholes: Roadside Zoos on the Blacklist". PETA. June 25, 2010. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  12. "Baylor University: Baylor Bear Program: FAQ". Baylor University. Archived from the original on October 4, 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  13. Watch The Price Is Right Season 49 Episode 118: 5/18/2021 - Full show on CBS, archived from the original on May 19, 2021, retrieved May 19, 2021
  14. "Meth, guns and cash found at West Coast Game Safari near Bandon; owner arrested". kgw.com. May 27, 2025. Retrieved May 28, 2025.