Earlier this week, the power was cut and the lights went out on CrocTalk after the non-profit conservation facility found itself unable to pay mounting bills from FortisBC.
But thanks to some crowd funding and a few generous donations, CrocTalk is back in session... sort of. Money woes have plagued the crocodilian rescue centre for years, but their most recent financial troubles may be compounded by the recent loss of their Controlled Alien Species (CAS) zoo permit, which does not allow them to display their animals to the public.
This concerns the SPCA, who rightly assume that without the ability to showcase their animals, CrocTalk profits may dwindle even further and could even result in the inability to feed the animals.
“It’s very concerning, he currently does not meet the criteria that the government has set out for zoos,” says Dr. Sara Dubois, Chief Scientific Officer with the SPCA.
Due to a change in legislation CrocTalk lost their permit earlier this year (after a grace period), but were granted a personal possession permit, which still allowed them to possess the animals, but prohibited any public viewing or breeding.
“He was one of the very few facilities that was allowed to have a displayed zoo permit without actually meeting all of the criteria, because they wanted to give him the ability to try and meet that criteria,” says Dubois.
To meet this criteria, CrocTalk must be apart of the Canadian Accredited Zoos and Aquariums or CAZA, which they are currently not. Massimo Bergamini, Executive Director of Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums, says they have yet to receive a request for accreditation, however, institutions have until March 1 to submit their application for consideration in 2015.
But Illman says it has made no sense applying to CAZA, because the current location of CrocTalk isn’t permanent and he wants to move to a different location before applying, which leaves his application process at a stand still with the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.
“We just want to get out of this facility and into a bigger location, so we can attract more guests, schools, tourists who come here,” he says. “You would be surprised the number of tourists that come to Kelowna, just because of CrocTalk.”
A new location that Illman is looking into is located in Lake Country and currently has a building on site, but this croc lover admits it could cost up to $2.5 million to get the structure and land open and up to code, and he is hoping a local philanthropist will step up to help.
But the SPCA is also concerned over the amount of time it would take to get the building up to code, plus the duration of time it would take to process a CAZA application, and how the animals would fare in the meantime.
This leaves Dubois to wonder what will become of the animals as CrocTalk is again asking the public for financial help to cover expenses.
“So basically he is asking you (the public) to pay for his pet food,” says Dubois. “That to us makes us very nervous, because if you can’t afford to feed the animals in you have in your care and your asking members of the public to help you do that, that is concerning.”
Illman counters this claim by asking how it is any different than the SPCA and their continuous fundraising to house, feed and rehabilitate their animals.
He also admits knowing since 2010 about changes to the animal permits, but says he had been waiting on a merger with the BC Wildlife Park in Kamloops -- which would have been a permanent location -- but that fell through this summer.
“The President of the Kamloops Wildlife Society decided that they wanted to stay (with) indigenous animals and if I wanted to merge I would have to do all the fundraising myself, build the building myself, donate it all to them, donate my animals, no guarantee of an income for me or my employees and it just wasn’t going to work out.”
CrocTalk hopes to have a permanent location by the end of this year, where either his new facility in Lake Country becomes a reality, or he is forced to move to the Calgary area where an unnamed donor has offered up an opportunity.
“Moving to Lake Country is still a funding issue; this is where we could use some of those local philanthropists (to help us),” says Illman.
All of the animals in Illman’s care have recently been checked over by conservation, as well as the SPCA, and were given a clean bill of health. Croc Talk is still open to the public however all crocodilian-related animals must be covered up. To donate please click here.