%20(1).png)
Pocono Snake and Animal Farm has been cited by the feds for a February incident involving a member of the public who walked in and stole a bobcat out of an enclosure.
Pocono Snake and Animal Farm is a roadside zoo in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) records indicate that on February 5, 2022, Semyon Levit, 45, walked into the zoo through an unlocked front door, snatched up a 22-year-old female bobcat and left behind $50 before taking off with the animal.
The incident was caught on a Ring camera. Levit was seen on the Ring camera struggling with the bobcat before loading her into his Hyundai and taking off. A Pocono Snake and Animal Farm employee later notified police when the bobcat was discovered missing.
PSP quickly identified Levit as a suspect and arrested him about six hours after he stole the bobcat. The bobcat was located in Levit’s trunk and was returned to Pocono Snake and Animal Farm unharmed.
Levit was charged with 12 counts including burglary, theft, criminal trespassing, animal cruelty, animal neglect, marijuana possession and drug paraphernalia possession.
Roadside Zoo News reported the incident to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA has now cited Pocono Snake and Animal Farm with a non-critical violation for the incident, noting that Levit was able to go through several access doors marked “employee only” undetected to remove the bobcat from her indoor exhibit.
“Failure to have adequate barriers between the public and the animals during exhibition can result in injury to humans and the animals,” the inspector wrote in her report.
Download Pocono Snake and Animal Farm USDA violation report: