The State of Alaska has filed criminal charges against Chilkat Valley resident Steve Kroschel two months after state agencies first raided his once-popular wildlife facility, near Haines.
The state Office of Special Prosecutions filed three felony and two misdemeanor charges against Kroschel on Thursday, alleging cruelty to animals. Each of those felony charges could result in up to a $500,000 fine and five years in prison, according to Alaska statute.
An arraignment has been scheduled in Haines for Oct. 8, the state said in a release. Reached by phone on Friday morning, Kroschel was in Central Russia and not yet aware of the charges.
“This is insane, absolutely insane,” he said. “My heart, my spirit, my mind, is all about taking care of life on Earth.”
The charges are the most recent development in a years-long battle between Kroschel and the state over the Kroschel Films Wildlife Center.
For two decades, the facility has offered thousands of visitors close-up views of wild animals. But a series of incidents and inspections over the years raised concern among state officials over animal welfare and human safety.
Those concerns, plus a lapsed federal license, eventually led to the revocation of Kroschel’s state permit. Then, in June, two state agencies executed a search warrant and seized dozens of animals as part of a criminal investigation.
Charging documents indicate the three felony charges are related to “inflicting severe or prolonged physical pain or suffering” on animals including a moose, a porcupine and a brown bear. The two misdemeanors allege Kroschel failed to care for animals including a porcupine and moose.
Kroschel remains adamant that the charges are unfair and inaccurate.
“Every animal that I've had that passed away was either examined in a necropsy that I requested, or the state, and it was either old age or something like that,” he said. “It was not because of negligence. But they're trying to pin that on me as animal cruelty, that's insane.”
Kroschel has spent much of the last two months in Russia, where he says he’s helping care for some wolf pups and two orphaned grizzly bear cubs.
The Office of Special Prosecutions did not respond to multiple requests for comment but said in a statement that the charges are “only allegations and are not evidence of guilt.”
