Zoo Owner Jailed Over Missing Giraffes Says They Don’t Exist
A shot of the now-shuttered Natural Bridge Zoo in Virginia. (Natural Bridge Zoo)
The owner of a rural Virginia zoo spent Christmas behind bars after refusing to tell a judge where two missing baby giraffes are believed to be. Gretchen Mogensen, whose family has run the Natural Bridge Zoo since 1972, is serving a 100-day jail sentence for contempt of court after declining to disclose the calves’ whereabouts. Her sentence runs through February.
The giraffes were allegedly born to adult females seized by the state in an animal-cruelty investigation but left at the zoo for several months. Authorities say the calves disappeared before officials could confirm their births. The case drew national attention after PETA and actor Alicia Silverstone offered a $50,000 reward for information about the animals. Silverstone, a longtime animal-rights advocate, said separating young animals from their mothers is “devastating for both.”
In December 2023, Virginia’s attorney general’s Animal Law Unit seized more than 100 animals from the zoo, citing overcrowded, unsanitary conditions and inadequate care. A jury later awarded the state custody of four giraffes—Jeffrey, Wrinkles, Little Girl, and Valentine—valued by the zoo at up to $1 million. State officials said the animals had overgrown hooves, lacked proper enrichment, and were repeatedly bred. Records show the zoo sold at least 14 very young giraffe calves over the past decade.
Investigators say two of the female giraffes became pregnant again and that the zoo violated a court order by failing to report the births before the calves vanished, according to WDBJ. Mogensen’s refusal to answer questions about the alleged calves led a judge to jail her in October.
Earlier this month, Mogensen filed a federal lawsuit accusing state officials of carrying out a “targeted campaign” against her. The filing argues that it is “impossible” to turn over “non-existent giraffe offspring,” marking the first time she has formally challenged the existence of the calves. Supporters describe her actions as resistance to government overreach and point to the death of Valentine while in state custody as evidence that the seizure did not improve animal welfare. They say the giraffe died from stress related to transport, while the attorney general’s office has suggested medication previously administered by the zoo may have contributed.
The remaining three giraffes—Jeffrey, Wrinkles, and Little Girl—now live at a luxury safari park in Georgia, where guests can stay overnight in suites connected to their barn. Meanwhile, questions surrounding the missing calves remain unresolved, and potential criminal charges are still under consideration.
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