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Jacko cleared of charges
19/01/2006 08:35 - (SA)
Los Angeles - Pop icon Michael Jackson, who last year beat child sex charges, has been cleared of mistreating the menagerie of wild animals at his fantasy-theme Neverland Ranch, United States officials said on Wednesday.
US department of agriculture (USDA) officials inspected the "King of Pop's" California domain last month following a complaint by an animal welfare group based on news reports of animal neglect, but found no signs that the beasts, which include elephants and giraffes, were suffering.
"On December 19th last year, a complaint was filed against Neverland Ranch by Peta (People Against Ethical Treatment of Animals) based upon a news report," USDA spokesperson Darby Holladay said.
"We take all complaints seriously and on December 21 a USDA veterinary officer went on site for an inspection but found that nothing was amiss and the animals were in good shape," he added.
"It was routine. In this case it was Michael Jackson's ranch but we do this sort of inspection every day," he said.
Peta still concerned
Jackson, 47, who was cleared of all child sexual molestation charges in June 2005 following a gruelling months-long trial, now lives in the Gulf state of Bahrain and has indicated he will not return to California permanently.
In late 2005 news reports claimed that a cash shortage resulted in possible neglect of the exotic animals at Neverland, a private zoo that has included orangutans, lions and alligators or crocodiles.
But Peta, a prominent US animal rights lobby group, said that while it was relieved no animal cruelty was detected, it was still concerned about the welfare of the animals on the sprawling Neverland ranch, which also has a theme park and a mini-railway.
"The USDA typically only takes action in cases where animals are really in dire circumstances or threatening situations and their," said Peta spokesperson Lisa Wathne.
"I wish we could take comfort in the USDA assessment of Neverland but we can't sleep easily yet because, as the USDA's regulations are minimal and as Neverland is private property there is no way of knowing what conditions the animals are actually in," she said.
Next step of action
Wathne said PETA would now ask the US Fish and Wildlife Service - an office of the department of the interior - to check on the condition of the endangered species at Neverland, including elephants.
Peta is opposed to keeping animals in captivity under any circumstances, but says it is particularly undesirable for private citizens to maintain private zoos.
"It's especially concerning when a celebrity keeps wild animals as that promotes the whole concept of wild animals as pets to the public," Wathne said.
Jackson's US-based representatives were not immediately available for comment.
- AFP
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South Africa
