Officials from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the Alaska State Troopers executed a search warrant Thursday at the Kroschel Wildlife Center in Haines, which led to the confiscation of dozens of animals, including wolves, martens, a wolverine, a fox, a lynx, and a porcupine.
According to state officials, the confiscated animals are being transported to licensed facilities, including the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage and the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center in Girdwood. Smaller animals were airlifted from the Haines Airport, while larger animals, such as moose, caribou, and a grizzly bear, were transported overland, crossing the Canadian border en route to their new homes in Southcentral Alaska.
The wildlife center, operated by filmmaker Steve Kroschel, housed more than 60 animals and was a popular tourist destination known for offering close-up, educational encounters with Alaskan wildlife.
On site during the seizure were several state officials from the Department of Fish and Game, including Director Ryan Scott, Regional Coordinator Anthony Crupi, Wildlife Biologists Stephanie Bogle and Roy Churchwell, Information Officer Riley Woodford, and Veterinarian Kimberly Beckman. The complex operation extended into Friday morning as teams continued loading and relocating the remaining animals. Troopers were in Haines on a related matter.
Department of Public Safety Public Information Officer Austin McDaniel explained: “On June 26 and 27, 2025, multiple Alaska Wildlife Troopers were in Haines, Alaska executing a search warrant associated with an ongoing criminal investigation at the Kroschel Films Wildlife Center. Troopers completed their search on June 27th and released the property back to the owner. Wildlife Troopers did not euthanize or relocate any animals at the property during their search. At this time, no arrests have been made, and the criminal investigation is active and ongoing. While Wildlife Troopers were conducting their criminal investigation, staff from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game were taking regulatory action at the property.”
Kroschel, who has operated the wildlife center for years, has expressed frustration over what he describes as government overreach. He has produced a series of videos, available on his website www.kroschelfilms.com, detailing his perspective on the events leading up to the closure of his facility. In a YouTube video published earlier this week, he criticized the actions of both state and federal officials.
The legal backdrop to the raid stems from a 2024 decision by the US Department of Agriculture, which ordered the closure of Kroschel’s facility on Aug. 5 after renewing his license under stricter conditions. Kroschel contested the terms and later prevailed in court, but during the appeal process, he lost his State of Alaska educational permit, a requirement to operate legally.
It shows how stupid our laws have become. Shame on the State for participating.
They weren’t killed ” for testing” a la Peanut the squirrel?? Our liberals are slacking
No, you need a radical leftist drag queen governor to take things that far.
More government overreach, permits for this, permits for that…..where do I apply for a poop in the woods permit?
Just wait, it’s coming. Look at the UK, almost at the point of taxing people for breathing.
Hmm – seems like this could have been handled differently. Kind of a draconian and expensive bureaucracy reaction against a useful facility when he had actually prevailed in his case.
Again outrageous government over-reach. Remnants of the self-destructive US fanatical leftist culture… imagine, a good tourism Alaskan service that brings income for the State, however, strangled by an idealistic government culture, hell-bent upon its prevailing. Staggeringly distorted outcome for an inventive American culture; one strangling wealth and creative creation.
your wrong… The Alaska ?Board of Game is controlled by the Safari Club. Why are the killing bears and wolves??? To prop up the killing of caribou…
This heavy-handed action against Kroeschel and his much-loved animal sanctuary smacks of bureaucratic overreach and petty tyranny at its worst.
It reminds me of the harassment and persecution of many small food businesses and restaurants in the municipality of Anchorage by one rogue and basically insane manager in the municipal Dept. of Health and Human Services back in 2016, before that manager’s superiors became fully aware of the unjustified and ruinous reign of terror she was trying to impose, and shut her down post haste, before any of the building lawsuits were filed against them.
Beware: that insane and arrogant manager is now an ER nurse in Providence Hospital!
And remember how the Los Anchorage commies didn’t want Uber here either.
Terrorizing food truck operators.
Yup.
The less government bureaucrats, the better.
We could eliminate 50% of the gov’t worker parasites and no one would notice.
Scum.
What the heck? Was there abuse, theft of animals, live trapping the populate of healthy wild animals the venue? I was waiting to read that there was legitimate reason for such an apparent over-reaction and the only thing that sounded somewhat legitimate was the loss of an educational permit. I hope there is more to the story that might justify such expense, time, as well as even constitutional rights.
Before screaming government overreach, maybe individual’s commenting should have all the facts. I have first-hand knowledge of these events and know for a fact that many of the animals in his custody have been mistreated and malnourished for years. There have even been a few that have died due to mistreatment, malnutrition and starvation. So maybe you should look for all the facts and both sides of the story prior to commenting.
This is exactly what I was thinking. That is a LOT of big game to feed and especially expensive to feed them a varied balanced diet. We are talking $1,000s a month. There’s no way he was making enough revenue. Those animals were starving & malnourished.
You’re spewing words with nothing to back them up you have no knowledge of any of the things you just wrote
I was deeply involved at this park. We currently have 12 full-size chest freezers full of top grade Meat 🥩 for these animals more than we could ever feed ..more arriving each week , get your facts straight.
Need to report all the facts… little done in most of our world “democracies” rather than shutting down operations, ALL permitted operations require monitoring. This again illustrates State officials.
BooHoo.
So instead of a virtuous individual taking care of these distraught animals just let them fall prey to the realities of the wilderness – they will be killed eaten by other animals or they will be hit by cars and trucks on the road.
Of ALL the things the gov’t should be worries about…
AKDQ; if the animals were malnourished and starving, why weren’t they euthanized or humanly killed on site? They were transported to other facilities and ADFG would have made better press had they dine so. AWCC in Portage has always been the whipping boy for ADFG staff. Unless it’s helpful or convenient. By the way, Troopers don’t “euthanize” anything. That’s a clinical procedure. Shooting in the head is humane killing.
Maybe so however your noting your ‘firsthand knowledge’ does not provide any facts supporting your comment.
It’s not clear to me that the state is in the wrong here. The state contends that there were unresolved issues related to animal welfare. “In a 2024 letter, Vincent-Lang alluded to a persistent history of what he called “apparent negligent care” that resulted in avoidable suffering and deaths of some animals including an 8-year-old wolf that died of a ruptured bladder in 2011, a 7-year-old moose that died of intestinal necrosis from being fed a banana stalk in 2003, a wolf with a spinal condition that wasn’t euthanized until a year after the condition was reported, and a 2-year-old wolf who died of a kidney disease.
“Necropsies of other animals in your care found high parasite loads, untreated infections, and poor body condition indicating those animals should have been provided veterinary treatment and possibly euthanized well before they died,” Vincent-Lang wrote in a Feb. 8, 2024 letter.”
Well whoop-de-do. Its almost as if animals occasionally get sick and die… like all other animals everywhere.
We call them “wild” animals for a reason. Screw your zoo.
To bad the gov’t isn’t focused on the thousands of criminals that break multiple laws EVERY day.
LibTards call them “homeless”.
Gov’t worker fatigue…
I suspect by their self serving and false commentary that SA and AKDQ work for ADFG.
I am familiar with the facts of this matter and can honestly say that the ADFG’s case was nothing but a pack of lies. Kroschel got his USDA license back and his veterinarians testified in his lawsuit by sworn affidavit that ALL his animals were well cared for and remained in excellent health. One elderly porcupine died of old age and the necropsy reflected malnourishment which is often the case for pre-morbid senescent humans, and other animals. A moose dying of bowel necrosis and perforation from an ingested banana stalk fell victim to something that would happen in the wild. The wolves with renal failure and a chronic spinal cord condition would have been very difficult to diagnose early in the best zoological facilities, so testified Kroschel’s veterinarians.
Don’t take my word for it or the disingenuous and misleading comments above but find and read the expert submissions in Kroschel’s lawsuit handled by attorney Michelle Bittner which is public record.
Some months ago, Commissioner Vincent-Lang suckered Kroschel into withdrawing his lawsuit by promising that his state permit would be processed more expeditiously if he did so. Poor Kroschel believed his lies and did so and we saw the consequences.
ADFG is a deeply corrupt and dishonest organization which recently ignored a judge’s order and continued to kill bears in the Mulchatna refuge. They are controlled by the hunting lobby, nothing more nothing less.
Kroschel’s facility represented a well run park and was a huge tourism draw in SE Alaska and the ADFG failed to prove any malfeasance whatsoever on his behalf. All his animals were much loved and well cared for.
This is, therefore, an example of grotesque governmental overreach and should trouble us all. I urge all those interested to seek out the documents contained within Kroschel’s lawsuit to verify what I have contended. I hope they make a documentary out of this using the footage of the inspections on Kroschel’s YouTube channel with documentary evidence from his lawsuit. It will be revealing and depressing by equal measure.
Thank you for this information. People have no idea how kind hearted this man is and how much he LOVED AND CARED for his animals. For many many years, I led Group Tours for Sun Tours in Abq, NM, to Alaska and the Yukon, every May/June. We visited his Sanctuary every time. It was the HIGHLIGHT of our Alaska experience because of his engaging, loving and close connections with his animals. It was apparent that HE was well loved by these animals, in return. Many of the animals there, has a story and his rescue of them, brought joy to so many of us, privileged enough to meet HIM and hear about THEIR stories. I am beyond desisted to hear he has lost his true love and passion. Please keep us updated on this situation.
Bucani wrote “A moose dying of bowel necrosis and perforation from an ingested banana stalk fell victim to something that would happen in the wild.”
There are banana trees growing wild in Alaska?
I followed this since the beginning as well.
Your facts are correct.
The AF&W employees involved are lazy, power-tripping, malicious liars who kill & harm rescued & well-cared for animals under the guise of helping them, ab-using the power of a government regulating body.
When did killing & harming the same animals ever become classified as helping them? They have even left animals that they have injured in the process of stealing Steve’s rescues out to die.
They should be sued too for each of all the animal cruelty they have done while taking his rescues.
They have even trespassed into Steve’s home by using his private bathroom without his permission. Did they have a permit to do that? I highly doubt it!
They said that the rescues were sick & malnourished by Steve while under his care. Did they even take into consideration that those animals are still in the process of being helped to recover from their original state when they were rescued? No, they did not.
It’s not as if recovery happens overnight… Even the human body is incapable of doing that.
Steve’s rescues are under the Veterinary care of Dr. Michelle Oakley. Do they think she’d allow any animal to be kept in bad conditions? There’s no way she’d let that happen.
When they were inspecting his enclosures, the fat inspector couldn’t even do his job properly by going uphill to properly check enclosures. Instead, he manufactured accusations.
I strongly believe that the AF&W should change all of its employees, & ensure that the new employees are honest, hardworking people who are, in no way, related or connected to the current employees. They should truly love animals, & sincerely care about Animal Rights & Welfare. People with documented good track records in the Animal Rescue & Veterinary industries. People with Unquestionable integrity.
I don’t know the complete story but unless they were being abused leave them alone
Has ADFG been infiltrated by PETA operatives? Lord knows they have long been infiltrated by the climate change alarmist cult. Without more evidence of real abuse (where are the undercover videos?), this is not a good look – it just sounds like this was an ongoing vendetta of pettiness for ADFG.
This was over a permit, he had his Federal permits it was over a lapse in a permit! I hope his attorneys crucify the state for this! I hope they crucify the fish and game department for this! This is a major fifth Amendment violation you know the takings clause.
This was over a permit, he had his Federal permits it was over a lapse in a permit! I hope his attorneys crucify the state for this! I hope they crucify the fish and game department for this! This is a major fifth Amendment violation
That is a most curious and disingenuous comment MrJimmy. Do you really believe that banana stalks are inherently structurally different from other potentially sharp and dangerous natural foliage foodstuffs ingested daily by wild ruminants including moose, deer, reindeer and elk? I would posit the opposite that they are not, meaning that all wild ruminants run the risk of ingesting sharp twigs or thorns any of which could cause a fatal bowel perforation. Ipso facto the ingestion of a banana stalk does not and cannot be used as evidence of animal cruelty by Mr Kroschel as some at ADFG would dearly wish it could. Nice try though.