Judge trying to decide if Manchester zoo should close

A judge who presided over a nonjury trial regarding a troubled roadside zoo in eastern Iowa now must determine whether it should be closed.

Testimony ended this week regarding Cricket Hollow Animal Park. Four plaintiffs have sued to have the animals removed and the zoo owned by Pam and Tom Sellner closed. The zoo sits just west of Manchester.

The trial opened Oct. 16, and testimony ended Tuesday. The Telegraph Herald reports that Judge Monica Wittig has 60 days to render a verdict.

In April last year a federal appeals court upheld a district court ruling that the zoo violated the Endangered Species Act with its treatment of some animals.