Following a hearing in Rockbridge County Circuit Court this afternoon, Gretchen Mogensen, one of the current owners of the Natural Bridge Zoo, was found in contempt of court for violation of a court order for not cooperating with inspectors when they arrived for an unannounced inspection of the zoo in April.
Judge Christopher Russell also ruled that the removal of two newborn giraffes from the zoo prior to the April inspection was a violation of the court order, and ordered Mogensen to return the baby giraffes to the state by noon on Oct. 29, or to report to Rockbridge Regional Jail to serve a 100-day sentence. For failing to cooperate with investigators, Russell ordered Mogensen to pay a $1,000 fine.
Full details from the hearing will appear in next week’s edition of The News-Gazette.
