This story was updated at 2:30 p.m. EDT.
A federal judge on Thursday concluded Florida’s Monkey Jungle is more like a zoo than an off-Broadway theater, costing the self-described “eco-show park and discovery center” its request for an $828,486 Covid-19 relief grant.
Citing attractions such as its “Wild Monkey Swimming Pool Show,” Monkey Jungle had sought a Small Business Administration grant allocated to “shuttered venue operators.” In the “Cameroon Gorilla Forest Show,” for instance, park operators described a theatrical scene in which visitors “experience the wonder of gorillas as our King of the Jungle and your Jungle Guide interact at a distance, showcasing natural behaviors and exercise routines.”
The SBA rejected the grant application, and U.S. District Judge John Bates in his opinion Thursday said the agency reasoned correctly in turning down the request for aid.
