Owner of Natural Bridge Zoo Faces Jail Over Missing Giraffes
- BTW21
- Sep 26
- 2 min read
ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY, Va. – The case involving the Natural Bridge Zoo has intensified as co-owner Gretchen Mogensen faces potential jail time over the unexplained disappearance of two baby giraffes.
The young giraffes, reportedly born earlier this year, have not been seen since their births, and officials from the Virginia Attorney General’s Office say their location remains unknown.
During a court hearing on Wednesday, September 24, a judge found Mogensen in contempt for failing to comply with two previous court orders.
One involved denying access to state inspectors from the Attorney General’s Animal Law Unit during a surprise inspection in April.
The other centered on her suspected involvement in removing the baby giraffes from the zoo grounds.
Mogensen’s legal team claimed she was not present at the zoo during the inspection due to a prior commitment and emphasized her history of cooperating with authorities during earlier inspections.
However, when investigators were eventually allowed entry, they noted concerning signs: the two adult female giraffes, both previously confirmed pregnant, appeared noticeably thinner and showed physical signs consistent with recent births. Despite this, no giraffe calves could be located.
Prosecutors maintained that, as a primary caretaker of the animals, which are under county oversight, Mogensen bore responsibility for their well being and location.
They argued that her actions, or failure to act, obstructed efforts to ensure the animals' proper care and transfer to county custody.
The defense countered that no direct evidence linked Mogensen to the calves’ disappearance and pointed out that others with access to restricted areas of the zoo could have been involved.
Due to an ongoing criminal investigation, Mogensen chose not to testify, with her attorneys citing her constitutional right against self-incrimination.
Although the judge acknowledged the complexity of the situation, the court ruled that her rights were not violated, as she was not being compelled to testify by the prosecution.
As of now, the Attorney General’s Office has not confirmed whether criminal charges will be filed or when.
Mogensen was fined $1,000 for obstructing the inspection.
She has until October 29 at noon to return the missing giraffes. Failure to do so will result in a 100-day jail sentence.