After 97 years of operation, a controversial Ontario zoo will close its gates for good this fall, leaving a menagerie of wild animals and "dozens" of staff members in the cold.

Established in 1919, the Bowmanville Zoological Park announced Thursday that "catastrophically" declining attendance and a shortage of funds were leading to its closure.

The Durham Region zoo's website says it is the oldest private zoo in North America, and is home to a variety of wild animals, including lions, tigers and camels, some of which can be rented out for private encounters or events. Some of the animals included Bengal tigers featured in Hollywood films and TV series, including Life of Pi and Animorphs.

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Bowmanville spokesman Angus Carroll blamed the attendance drop on allegations of animal cruelty by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), after video surfaced appearing to show owner Michael Hackenberger whipping a tiger named Uno during a training session.

"We feel this is a tragic example of being tried in the public court before being tried in the real court," an emotional Mr. Carroll told reporters as he made the announcement at the zoo on Thursday.

In April, the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals charged Mr. Hackenberger with four counts of causing an animal distress and one of failing to comply with the prescribed standards of animal care, all under the authority of the provincial OSPCA Act.

Mr. Hackenberger, who could not be reached for comment, has denied all charges.

Ashley McArthur, spokeswoman for Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums, said Bowmanville officials had reached out to the organization on Thursday for help in finding new homes for the animals.

"Our role is ensuring that, when their doors do close, we offer our assistance and support to help re-home the animals in a way that meets their special needs and requirements. That is our priority," she said.

Ms. McArthur added that the organization facilitates the transfer of animals from both accredited and unaccredited facilities.

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"Generally when we look to re-home animals, we like to facilitate it to an accredited facility because it means that we have been inside the facility and we will have a better understanding of the standards of care in that facility."

Ms. McArthur declined to comment on the number of animals in question and said it was too early to determine where they will be placed.

The Toronto Zoo said in a statement to The Globe and Mail that they had not been contacted regarding the animals at Bowmanville.

The animal abuse allegations are not the first to land Mr. Hackenberger in hot water. In a live 2015 TV broadcast featuring a baboon riding a pony, he cursed at the baboon, prompting widespread outrage.

Rob Laidlaw, a spokesman for Canadian wildlife protection agency Zoocheck, said the allegations against Bowmanville were not surprising to many in the industry, with prior reports of poor treatment of animals at the facility.

"Our understanding is that many of these types of facilities – smaller, privately owned zoos – have difficulty attracting customers at times. Training animals and providing them for offsite activities is a significant revenue generator. So certainly attendance would have been affected by recent press," said Mr. Laidlaw.

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He added Marineland had similarly faced declining attendance after the 2013 documentary Blackfish highlighted conditions of animals in captivity at SeaWorld.

Mr. Laidlaw believes that the world would be better off if there were fewer zoos in general.

"Globally, there's an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 zoo-type facilities, and even if they did serve a useful purpose, we don't need that many," he said.

For its part, the Bowmanville Zoo said it is hopeful it can place the animals elsewhere, but expects the process to take up to a year.

PETA responded to the announcement saying they were "celebrating" the zoo's demise.

"It's closing around a hundred years too late for the hundreds of animals that suffered there," said PETA spokeswoman Brittany Peet.

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"Any time a zoo closes its doors is time for celebration. None of these people should be in the animal business. It's time for them all to find other jobs and find better homes for these animals."

Mr. Laidlaw said Zoocheck was not aware of what arrangements would be made for the animals, but said his organization would offer support if reached.

"In Canada, animals are property. They're just like cars, or tables or refrigerators," he said. "Historically, most places have just sold their animals or transferred them to their other counterparts in the industry."

With a report from Canadian Press