The owner of a rural Virginia zoo accused of mistreating animals spent Christmas in jail, rather than reveal the location of two missing baby giraffes. Gretchen Mogensen, whose family has operated the Natural Bridge Zoo since 1972, is serving a 100-day jail sentence for contempt after refusing to tell a judge where the calves are. The sentence runs until February. The young giraffes were allegedly born to females the state seized in an animal-cruelty case but left on the property for months, per the Washington Post. The dispute resurfaced nationally when PETA and actor Alicia Silverstone offered a $50,000 reward for information on the calves' whereabouts. Silverstone, a longtime animal-rights advocate, said separating young animals from their mothers is "devastating for both."
Back in December 2023, the state attorney general's Animal Law Unit seized more than 100 animals from the zoo, citing filthy, cramped conditions and inadequate care. A jury later awarded the state custody of four giraffes—Jeffrey, Wrinkles, Little Girl, and Valentine—valued by the zoo at up to $1 million in total. Officials said the animals had overgrown hooves and lacked proper enrichment, and that the females were repeatedly bred; records show the zoo has sold at least 14 very young calves over the past decade. The two females became pregnant again, and investigators allege the zoo defied a court order to report the births before the calves vanished, per WDBJ. Mogensen's refusal to answer questions about the missing calves led a judge to jail her in October.
Earlier this month, she filed a federal lawsuit, claiming state officials are waging a "targeted campaign." The document claims it's "impossible" to turn over "non-existent giraffe offspring," contesting the calves' existence for the first time. Allies portray Mogensen as resisting government overreach, pointing to Valentine's death in government care as evidence that state custody has not improved animal welfare. They blame the death on the stress of transport, while the attorney general's office suggests the zoo's medication played a role. Jeffrey, Wrinkles, and Little Girl now live at a high-end Georgia safari park where guests can pay to stay in luxury suites adjoining their barn, as the mystery of the alleged calves and the possibility of criminal charges hang over the case.