An aquarium in Fort Worth with a history of repeat infractions has been cited again for violating the Animal Welfare Act.

SeaQuest Fort Worth, located at the Ridgmar Mall, was issued citations by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for violations that included dirty enclosures, accumulated feces, and an unsanitary food preparation area in which "the floor did not appear to have been cleaned in a very long time."

The USDA's inspection reports were obtained by PETA and found the following from a report dated January 4:

• A kinkajou enclosure at the facility wasn’t being cleaned regularly, leading to a buildup of old food.
• A cramped porcupine and turaco enclosure provided little room for the porcupine to move around and wasn’t being cleaned frequently, making it impossible for the porcupine to avoid his own feces.
• The enclosure also contained excessive amounts of soggy shavings and had “a large amount” of food and feces stuck to the wall beneath the food bowl.
• Four otters were confined to an enclosure designed for two, causing the floor to be constantly wet and predisposing the animals to health issues, including skin infections.

The inspector also noted numerous flies throughout multiple animals’ enclosures.

According to another report dated October 5, an otter holding area had accumulated grime on the floor and walls, which “can be a breeding ground for bacteria, mold, and allergens,” and the “kitchen/food preparation area was filthy.”

SeaQuest Fort Worth is also the defendant in a lawsuit brought against it in October 2023 over an incident in 2022, when a child required stitches after being attacked by an iguana; the case is still pending.

Since it opened in 2017, SeaQuest Fort Worth has a history of animal neglect and death. In 2022, the facility was cited following the deaths of five sugar gliders who had fallen into a vertical pipe from which they couldn’t escape. An otter has died, capybaras have gone missing, an adult capybara has bitten a child, and a sloth has bitten a customer.

According to a February 2024 report by ABC News, customers and former employees have raised questions about the facility's safety and diligence of its staff.

During a visit to SeaQuest Fort Worth, one family was urged to touch and interact with the animals on display. A child was subsequently bitten by a fish, and the employees acted "like it was a normal occurrence."

An ABC News investigation uncovered at least 75 other incidents where people reported being injured by animals at various SeaQuest locations since the company opened its first aquarium in 2016.

SeaQuest locations across the U.S. have racked up over 90 citations in the past six years for failing to meet bare-minimum federal animal welfare standards. Hundreds of animals have died at SeaQuest facilities or in transit, and the USDA has issued numerous citations for inadequate animal care, improper maintenance, and injuries to the public.

Three SeaQuest locations have closed within the past year: Littleton, Colorado, closed in February, following closures in Trumbull, Connecticut, and Stonecrest, Georgia, in 2023.

“Disgusting, cramped enclosures and filth are par for the course at SeaQuest’s seedy facilities, where hundreds of vulnerable animals are confined and exploited,” says PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Michelle Sinnott. “PETA urges everyone to stay away from all SeaQuest locations, which can’t be trusted to keep animals or the public safe.”