A Zoo Fit for Mara the Chimp

The Justice Department in February dispatched inspectors to a beleaguered zoo in Puerto Rico. What they found was deplorable. Days later, Puerto Rican officials announced that the Dr. Juan A. Rivera Zoo would close, and a plan to find humane care for more than 300 animals began.

The shuttering of the Puerto Rican zoo is part of a troubling trend. Too many unaccredited or uncertified “zoos” and “sanctuaries” exist, and many are deficient.