Brookhaven officials expected to close Holtsville zoo in budget vote, Supervisor Dan Panico says

Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico said he has the votes to pass the town's 2026 budget on Thursday, which calls for closing the Holtsville zoo next year following allegations that animals at the facility suffered abuse.

Panico said in a phone interview Wednesday that the seven-member town board would "unanimously" support his $367.2 million budget, effectively shuttering the zoo at the Holtsville Ecology Site and Animal Preserve and moving about 130 animals to other sanctuaries. Closing the facility will save taxpayers about $2 million annually, Panico has said.

The town board vote will come after weeks of public debate over the zoo's future. The zoo's supporters, including parents, children and zoo employees, have said the animal preserve should remain open for future generations.

Animal welfare activists and some former zoo workers said the zoo should close, arguing animals at the facility have suffered abuse and neglect. Town officials have denied the allegations.

The zoo would close to the public at the end of the year if the budget is approved, Brookhaven officials have said. Zoo operations are funded through March to allow time for the animals to be cared for at the facility until they are relocated, officials said.

“I believe the budget will pass unanimously,” Panico said Wednesday. “I’m working to try to ensure that the vast majority of the barnyard animals will remain local for people to see."

"This [zoo], which began in the 1970s, it grew into a large and costly operation. ... Times have changed and we need to focus on the core functions of town government and also prioritize what is best for the animals,” Panico said.

Newsday reported last year that whistleblowers, including some former zoo employees, documented what they said was abuse and neglect at the facility. 

Town officials are in talks with animal sanctuaries as they try to find new homes for more than 100 animals, including farm animals, birds of prey and exotic species such as emus, buffalo and bears.

The ecology site, which also includes public swimming pools and playgrounds, will remain open if the zoo closes, Panico has said.

The zoo's future dominated a Nov. 6 public hearing to discuss the budget. Some zoo supporters offered to donate or raise money to save the facility. 

Closing Holtsville would be "cruel and traumatic" for the animals, Kristin Layer, an animal preserve caregiver at the zoo, said Wednesday in a text message. Many of the animals had been placed at Holtsville because they had been injured or kept illegally as pets, she said.

"At its heart, keeping Holtsville alive is about protecting the animals we all cherish and supporting a community that cares deeply for them and their survival," she wrote.

Aside from the zoo closure, the proposed budget contains no major new initiatives or changes.

Brookhaven officials have said the budget, if approved, would raise taxes for the average homeowner by 1.43% and does not exceed the state tax cap.

By Carl MacGowan

carl.macgowan@newsday.comCarlMacGowan

Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.