An individual known for running a controversial traveling animal show was taken into custody last week on Long Island, following an unusual roadside incident involving two sloths and a kangaroo in his vehicle.
Larry Wallach, 67, operates a sloth exhibit business and received a citation on Wednesday for breaching Oyster Bay’s ordinance concerning dangerous animals. This action came after federal, state, and local authorities discovered the illegal animals in his black Honda Odyssey parked outside a coffee shop, as reported by officials from the animal rights group, Humane Long Island.
The strange situation began when town code enforcement officers, along with additional state and federal agents, responded to a tip-off about Wallach. He is a repeat offender in animal welfare cases and had previously fled Long Island for Florida. It was reported that he had unlawfully transported exotic animals in Nassau County, despite being specifically prohibited from doing so.
Transporting exotic animals like these across state lines to New York is illegal, as is possessing them in many areas, including parts of Nassau and Suffolk County. “Despite the fact that Mr. Wallach’s USDA license has been revoked, he continues to illegally showcase wild animals, which violates both local and federal laws,” said John Di Leonardo, executive director of Humane Long Island.
Di Leonardo expressed relief at Wallach’s name surfacing again but emphasized the need for authorities to take stronger action. He urged federal agencies to confiscate the animals and relocate them to reputable sanctuaries.
Wallach’s history is quite troubling, with about 60 recorded animal welfare violations, guilty pleas related to trafficking dangerous animals, lying to federal inspectors, and facing contempt of court. His business had even been suspended by a state judge at one point. Records indicate that the U.S. Department of Agriculture officially revoked his federal permit to exhibit animals in June 2024, which made owning and displaying exotic animals illegal for him.
Notably, despite the revocation, Wallach allegedly continued to transport animals for private events across state lines, including back to Florida. Animal rights activists have reported instances of him concealing animals from inspectors and misleading federal authorities regarding their whereabouts, as he was ordered to halt his activities long ago.
With winter temperatures on Long Island, sloths and kangaroos are especially vulnerable to the cold.
As of Thursday, Wallach had not been criminally charged or arrested in relation to the incident in Oyster Bay. Disturbingly, authorities allowed him to leave with the animals still in his possession, according to Di Leonardo. The reasons for this decision remain unclear, but investigators have indicated that there is an ongoing federal investigation.
