The final questions in the Natural Bridge Zoo trial will not be answered until August.
One of the attorneys representing zoo owners Karl and Debbie Mogensen suffered a death in the family, precipitating the need for a continuance, according to Chloe Smith, spokesperson for the Virginia attorney general’s office.
A hearing scheduled for Monday had been intended to button up two motions related to the winter jury trial that decided the fate of 100 animals seized from the zoo during a December raid on charges of animal neglect and abuse. In early March, a jury returned 29 of the seized animals to the zoo in Rockbridge County. The commonwealth kept the remaining 71, animals that ranged from giraffes to skinks.
The first motion, which was filed by the zoo’s attorneys, seeks to set aside the jury verdict, arguing that the court erred in disallowing testimony from Gretchen Mogensen, the zoo manager and daughter of Karl Mogensen, after she was mistakenly omitted from the original witness list.
The second motion was to determine the Mogensens’ share of the cost of care for the seized animals.
The Natural Bridge Zoo recently reopened for the season, advertising that it is operating under new ownership. Gretchen Mogensen confirmed to WSET-TV that she and her brothers had taken over the business, citing Karl Mogensen’s health as the primary reason.
The continued hearing is now set for 1 p.m. Aug. 26.
