The head caretaker of Long Island’s largest and most controversial zoo lashed out at town officials about newly revealed plans to close the sanctuary after years of animal abuse allegations.
Holtsville Ecology Center zoo caretaker Kristin Layer lost it on Brookhaven town officials — blaming the looming closure of the taxpayer-funded spot on politics and “Crookhaven” government corruption.
“The REAL REASON for the ‘closure’ is because of ‘budget cuts’ YET our town [leaders] gave themselves over $30,000 raises this year INCLUDING [Town Supervisor] Dan Panico,” Layer said in a bizarre Instagram rant.
“They are just trying to cover that fact up for all us tax paying citizens in attempt to make themselves look better and put the blame on the workers & staff,” she said.
Layer couldn’t be reached for comment.
Town records show that the free-to-access zoo operated at a yearly loss, and its closure is projected to save more than $2 million annually, while the 2026 budget does boost elected representatives’ salaries by roughly $30,000 total — or raises of about $3,000 to $4,000 per official.
But Brookhaven defended the raises — and fired back at the fuming caretaker.
“This gradual closure has NOTHING to do with politics, it is entirely about BUDGET CONSTRAINTS,” Brookhaven town spokesperson Drew Scott told The Post.
“We do not need to be in the zoo business any longer,” he said, adding that the bumps in pay for officials are “only smaller increases to keep up with inflation and the cost of living.”
The refuge, which opened in 1979 on a reclaimed landfill, has long been plagued by accusations of animal mistreatment.
The zoo allegedly lost a bald eagle, let a mountain lion drown, performed surgery on a rooster without anesthesia, sources said.
Animal advocates celebrated the zoo’s closure, which was announced Monday, but blasted the town’s relocation plan as “totally unacceptable.” They claim Brookhaven officials turned down free help from animal rights organizations to relocate the zoo’s roughly 100 animals and are instead planning to send them to other problematic spots.
“We can move many of the animals out immediately, give them veterinary attention, and place them in sanctuaries where they can live healthy, natural lives — all at no cost to the town,” Humane Long Island President John Di Leonardo said of the offer to the town.
But Scott said the town has no plans on working with Di Leonardo or his organization, and instead revealed the town has been in talks with Quogue Wildlife Refuge, Sweetbriar Nature Center and Hoyt Farms about the relocation of the animals — locations that critics claim come with the same issues as Holtsville.
“The Town failed these animals for decades,” Di Leonardo said. “It needs to do this right and place the animals at reputable sanctuaries where they can get the specialized care they need to live more natural lives, rather than dumping them at other subpar facilities where they will continue to suffer.”
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