Small Burlington County zoo up for sale

A small Burlington County zoo that was the scene of fatal fires, animal escapes, and violations over unsanitary and unsafe conditions closed last month.

Animal Kingdom, which houses about 100 exotic creatures in rural Springfield Township, is up for sale for $2.4 million. The animals, valued at $1 million, are part of the purchase, according to a real estate listing posted by ReMax.

Federal animal inspectors visited the zoo last week and then informed their state counterparts that the zoo was closed and that "the caretakers are still there and are caring for the animals," said Larry Hajna, spokesman for the state Division of Fish and Wildlife.

He said the zoo owner, Burton Sipp, failed to renew his state license to possess exotic animals in January and had not responded to notices from the division.

Reached by phone, Sipp declined to comment.

In April 2011, his wife, Bridget, died in their house on the zoo property when it went up in flames. Six months later, two giraffes and about 20 other animals and birds died in a second fire on the premises. Bridget Sipp had taken care of the animals when her husband was out of state training racehorses.

Burton Sipp, who got into the zoo business as a hobby decades ago, said in an interview last summer he was planning to retire and sell the property.

In the last year, the zoo was cited for numerous federal violations, including the failure to have secure animal enclosures that might have prevented a monkey from biting a toddler last spring, and the escape of hyena pups in December. The zoo also was cited for neglecting the treatment of a lemur and other sick animals that died.

The listing with Bordentown Realtor Valerie Belardo touts the sale of 36.5 acres as "an opportunity of a lifetime to own one of the largest zoos" in South Jersey. It also says the zoo provides income from admission fees and animal breeding. The zoo had charged $5 and $10 for children and adults, and also sold treats for visitors to feed the animals.

Springfield Mayor Denis McDaniel said the zoo occupied about five acres of the property. Among the animals are giraffes, chimpanzees, llamas, wolves, and spider monkeys. Big cats and bears are prohibited by municipal zoning laws.

McDaniel said he met with Sipp last month and learned the zoo was being closed to visitors. Sipp expressed interest, he said, in getting approvals to significantly expand the zoo when it reopens, either under new ownership or with himself at the helm.

"We would welcome something that would fit into this small hamlet of Springfield, not something approaching the size of the Philadelphia Zoo," McDaniel said. He said that the town zoning board initially approved a much smaller zoo and that it slowly evolved as more animals were brought in.

In the fall, Sipp entered into an agreement to lease the zoo to a Haddonfield lawyer and his veterinarian wife, who were also given an option to buy. Christopher Basner and Anne Butler, the potential new owners, began renovating the zoo and taking care of the animals, but then backed out of the deal.