St-douard Zoo ordered closed by Quebec's workplace safety board

Quebec's workplace health and safety board has ordered the St-douard Zoo closed for safety reasons,ensuring the remaining animals on site will be relocated as soon as possible.

CNESST safety inspectors examined the site Saturday and determined workers there could not provide the necessary care for the animals in a safe manner.

The zoo is located in Quebec's Saint-douard-de-Maskinong, 120 kilometres northeast of Montreal.

Quebec's Wildlife Ministry had inspected the zoo "several times" before the owner, Normand Trahan, 69, was charged with animal cruelty and neglect last month. If found guilty, he couldface up to five years in prisonand a lifetime ban on owning an animal.

The zoo was keeping a wide range of farm and wild animals such aswolves, alpacas, bears, lions, kangaroos and primates.

The SPCA began investigating in 2018 following a visitor's complaint and soon discovered animals didn't have access to proper food and water, the organization alleges.

Last month, 61 farm animals were moved to another location in the Montrgie region.

Then Trahan's defence lawyer, Michel Lebrun, filed a legal request to access the site, allowing his own experts in to examine the animals.

This order stalled the relocation of the remaining animals,but that all changed Saturday when theCNESST launched its own investigation and ordered the zoo closed.