Previously Published in The Messenger
By Matt Meduri
At the November 6 evening board meeting to discuss the Town’s FY2026 budget, many public comments were dedicated to the beloved Holtsville Ecology Site, founded in 1979 by then-Brookhaven Superintendent of Highways Harold H. Malkmes – for whom the site is formally named. Malkmes was known as a florist who was urged into politics. He served as the Town’s Highway Superintendent from the 1970s until 2000. The site was constructed at the Town’s compost facility, and the ecology aspect came in when the Highway workers tended to barnyard animals to entertain children while their parents received their compost.
Since then, the site expanded into a large set of enclosures that feature various species of animals from around the world who are unable to live in the wild, often due to injuries or prior domestication that made them incompatible with their natural habitats. The site also boasts a greenhouse with adult and child education, walking and exercise nature trails, playgrounds, pools, and pavilions.
The FY2026 budget prepares a gradual closure of the site. Animals rescued from the zoo will be transferred to an “approved and accredited sanctuary, ensuring continual care and ethical treatment,” according to the Town.
The Ecology Site was accused in January of mistreating and neglecting animals, performing their own surgical operations without proper veterinary care, and delivering a poor quality of life to its animal residents. In September, the Town announced the site would close, while certain facilities would remain open.
Generally seen as the start of the investigations at the site was Honey, the famed black bear who lived at the site for twenty-five years. Honey was allegedly observed behaving unusually, rocking back and forth, with a mouth of rotted teeth. Later revelations found that she had multiple untreated urinary tract infections (UTIs) and untreated arthritis.
Other animal residents of the site who were found to be living in dirty and unstimulating enclosures with allegedly ignored medical problems were the arctic foxes, rabbits, turtles, goats, roosters, and the sole Eurasian lynx. Notable animals include Wilbur, the pig who allegedly sustained deep abscesses to his feet and puncture wounds from his enclosure; Nessy, a Pekin duck, who was unable to stand due to infected feet also suffered lead poisoning, a bone infection, and a mangled win that did not heal correctly from a fracture; and Stefan, a rooster who necrotic pressure sores on his feet, which were caked in feces from his pen.
At last Thursday’s board meeting, contentious displays about the future of the site were made, effectively turning the public hearing for the Town’s budget into a conversation on the beloved Suffolk site.
Amelia Lappey was the first speaker. At twelve years old, she urged the Town to reconsider closing the site.
“I may be small, but my dreams are big; I want to be a zoologist when I grow up and spread the need for the conservation of animals,” said Lappey, adding that she became enamored with the field after taking her “first steps” at the site. She participated in various classes and programs there.
“I’ve visited countless times throughout my life. I noticed the love the staff had for the animals,” said Lappey, remembering Honey, the famed black bear, whose noticeable conditions passing thereafter was what started the scrutiny into the site.
Lappey said that Honey was 27 when she passed, with the average lifespan of an American black bear being 19 years.
“That was due to the love, support, and care she received. People have said that she had tooth decay towards the end of her life, but have you ever seen a human who lived past their average life spawn with perfect teeth? I haven’t,” said Lappey, adding that the closure of the site will “take away hopes and dreams” and “limit the community’s knowledge of these species.”
“Most communities are unable to afford a high-priced zoo. If you close the Ecology Site, it’s only a matter of time before you close the playground and pool. Closing the site will leave our community with one less place to learn, grow, play, and make friends. Are you willing to take away from children in this community to better line your pockets?”
Meg Shutka, a Smithtown resident who worked at the site primarily as a tour guide for a decade, said she is opposed to the closure of the facility. She stated that the animals kept there cannot live in the wild and that they were “so well-cared for.”
“What happened?” asked Shutka. “It starts at the top.”
Shutka said that incumbent Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro (R-Shoreham) “maybe should have investigated more,” and that what unfolded there “would have never happened” under Harold Malkmes’ leadership.
“We had a person in the office who handled the donation program. If there was a problem, veterinarians were called right away and each animal had a schedule for vet visits,” said Shutka, adding that the site is a Town “gem.”
“Don’t let it close. Help those animals, find ways to fundraise a little more. Keep it for your residents and all of Long Island. Think about what you are doing, what you are losing, and the legacy of the people who fought hard to maintain it the way it was.”
A sixty-year resident of the community asked why the greenhouse programs, the pool, and the playground are closing. Supervisor Panico interjected, stating that all will remain open and that he “cleared that up” with Harold Malkmes’ son and grandson the day before the meeting.
On the other hand, Jessica Ciarello thanked the Town for closing the site, stating that “Hotsville might not be the most ideal place for a zoo.”
“Animal welfare standards are in a state of evolution. Animals are sentient, social creatures with wants and needs, and do not exist for public display, or entertainment. They deserve more,” said Ciarello. “I choose to believe that this will set a precedent that we are moving ethically in a decision we can take pride in. These animals deserve more.”
Juliana Di Leonadro, Vice President of Arts and Human Education at Humane Long Island, called the site “not a preserve”, but a “zoo.”
“If you really do love the animals, you should allow them to leave and find a better home. I thank the Town for shutting down the site. It’s better for taxpayers, and much better for the animals,” said Di Leonardo, adding that there are “plenty of reputable sanctuaries where people can visit the animals.”
“Humane Long Island is eager to work with you and we have a game plan set,” said Di Leonardo. In reference to Lappey’s comments, Di Leonardo said that the site should not be a place for inspiration or learning by example.
“It is a terrible example. If you want animals to be happy and cared for, this is not the place.”
Other speakers supported the closure, citing its improper location on an environmentally sensitive location.
Erin Perotta, a zookeeper of seven years from Franklin Square, said that while she does not work at the site, she feels that the Town is making the wrong decision.
“This place encourages the next generation of zoologists, caretakers, and conservationists. The center does so much for animals that ended our help. All animals are deemed non-releasable by the U.S. government,” said Perrino, invoking the site’s bald eagle who was struck by a vehicle moving at a high speed, the hybrid wolves who were bred as fighting dogs, and the rabbits who were “dumped by people who grow bored of their pets.”
Perrino disagreed with the extent to which some use the term “animal rights.” She agreed that animals are sentient and social, but disagreed with their uses to humans. With that logic, Perrino posited that service dogs should not be used to aid the blind, service animals should be allowed for people with epilepsy, and horses should not be used to plow fields.
Another resident asked the Town to make “abundantly clear” what happened at the site “instead of letting the blame be shifted to the good people who have dedicated their lives to caring for these animals.” She added that the Town should vote to keep the site open as many animals are old and would “likely not survive the stress of relocation.”
Another resident proposed the Parks Department absorb the management of the site, as the site costs “$40 a year for a taxpayer, of which $20 is allocated to the animal sanctuary – that’s $3.30 per month per taxpayer. That’s not a drain on taxpayers if that’s what the people want.”
Residents also questioned the argument of pollution from the Ecology Center’s existence on a former landfill site. One resident said that if that’s the case, then the rest of the amenities should be torn down due to pollution.
“If the landfill is such an issue, why is the animal sanctuary being explicitly targeted? Close down the trails and the pool if that’s the case. Or, you can just do the hard thing and invest a chunk of change to take care of the pollution issue while preserving a beloved community staple. You [the Town] claim it is important to put money into parks, but why is the animal sanctuary exempt from that? No matter what department it is under, the animal sanctuary is a one-of-a-kind resource and if it’s taken away, there won’t be anything else like it.”