The fight continues over the aquarium and interactive experience project scheduled for build inside the Galleria Mall in Fort Lauderdale.
Animal advocates and PETA filed a lawsuit on Wednesday claiming the city broke their own rules during the approval process. Despite several rounds of protests to stop the project, the official green light was given last month.
SeaQuest, the company behind creating aquariums, has several incidents reported in Denver; a shark bit, stingray barb stuck in someone’s hand, and an iguana jumping onto another person’s chest while clawing at their mouth.
Incidents were also documented in Las Vegas, including an otter death, a capybara badly hurt during an improper transport and an animal control investigation surrounding employees bitten by a coatimundi.
Seaquest wants to add stingrays, sloths, pacific seals and pigs to the Galleria Mall exhibit.
The city of Fort Lauderdale maintains it followed all guidelines in the approval process. SeaQuest would not offer a response.