MONROE, N.C. - From the tame and the typical to totally wild.  The traveling petting zoo called Jungle Safari has a little bit of everything, all in the parking lot of Monroe Crossing mall.  A mom of two boys says, "I think it's cool, we were just driving by and like, free admission, why not?"  And 11-year-old Zack Weilage says, "Animals are amazing!"

There are tigers, there are camels, there are lemurs and there is a USDA inspection report from March.  It levels two concerns, first: a 16-week-old "highly active" tiger cub used for pictures with the public.  "'Too rambunctious' is actually  what she (the inspector) said," says the zoo owner Robert Engesser.

The inspector noted her concern that the cub couldn't be controlled in a way that would keep him and the public safe.  Engesser replaced the cub with a nine and a half week old lion.

The other issue: a capuchin monkey.  The report lists hair loss and tail biting; signs of psychological distress.  The zoo had not documented the steps it was taking to address the monkey's neurotic behavior, often caused by a lack of interaction.  The report says her mate died two months ago.  Engesser says, "There's quite a bit of interaction." 

Engesser has owned the traveling zoo for about 13 years.  He appealed the March inspection, was denied, and says he will appeal again.  He says, "I don't feel in that situation they were correct, but they're entitled to their opinion just like I am mine."

Engesser says he has 30 big cats at his permanent facility in Florida.  He rotates which ones are on tour.  The two-year -old female tiger currently with him will stay inside her cage for four weeks before returning to Florida.

"It seems fun and it seems great for the kids, but in reality, it's not, especially not for the poor animals in there," says Monroe resident Felicia Kiker.  She didn't like what she saw at the petting zoo.  "The animals are all in little cages, animals which are supposed to be in the wild," says Kiker.

Engesser expects between five and six thousand visitors through the weekend.  He insists all of the animals are well taken care of and that public safety is his priority.  He says, "If we feel it's a danger to the animal as well as the public, we're not gonna use it."
 
The USDA has inspected the zoo eight times in the last three years.  The March report is the only one with citations.  Mall management wasn't aware of the March inspection until FOX Charlotte brought it to their attention.  They tell us, "Jungle Safari approached us about operating at Monroe Crossing and we offered them the space free of charge because we knew it would be a great attraction for the community."