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USDA FACILITY REPORT

John Ball Zoo

Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504 - 1300 West Fulton

B
16 Inspections
1 Total Violations
1 Critical
0 Repeat Violations
License: 34-C-0373 Type: Class C (exhibitor) Last Inspected: Sep 1, 2026 Address: 1300 West Fulton USDA records through: Oct 1, 2026

Animals on Record

  • Budgerigar382
  • Domestic Goat169
  • Magellanic Penguin119
  • Chimpanzee93
  • White-Winged Parakeet85
  • Chilean Flamingo75
  • Brown-Headed Spider Monkey74
  • Bennett's Wallaby56
  • Cotton-Top Tamarin54
Show all 94 species
  • Sheep Including All Domestic Breeds46
  • Black Howler43
  • Bongo43
  • Lion40
  • Ring-Tailed Lemur34
  • Tiger34
  • Puma33
  • White-Faced Saki32
  • Lesser Madagascar Hedgehog Tenrec31
  • Chinchilla (Domesticated)30
  • Domestic Chicken (Including All Domestic Breeds /29
  • Goeldi's Monkey29
  • Red Panda29
  • North American River Otter25
  • Snow Leopard24
  • Brown Bear24
  • Slender-Tailed Meerkat23
  • Virginia Opossum22
  • Canadian Lynx22
  • Capybara20
  • Cockatiel19
  • Black-Handed Spider Monkey19
  • Cape Porcupine18
  • Yellow Armadillo18
  • Chacoan Peccary16
  • Warthog15
  • North American Porcupine15
  • Bobcat15
  • Black-Footed Cat14
  • Kinkajou14
  • Maned Wolf13
  • Pygmy Hippopotamus11
  • Golden Eagle10
  • Von Der Decken's Hornbill10
  • White-Nosed Coati10
  • Bald Eagle10
  • Southern Ground-Hornbill10
  • Fulvous Whistling-Duck10
  • Black Swan10
  • White Stork10
  • Barn Owl10
  • Kelp Gull10
  • Nicobar Pigeon10
  • Bali Myna10
  • American Kestrel10
  • Toco Toucan9
  • Linnaeus's Two-Toed Sloth9
  • Hoffmann's Two-Toed Sloth9
  • Giant Anteater8
  • Hazel Dormouse8
  • Black-Crowned Night-Heron8
  • European Rabbit8
  • Guinea Baboon8
  • Eastern Black-And-White Colobus8
  • Mexican Porcupine8
  • South American Tapir8
  • Domestic Rabbit8
  • Snowy Owl7
  • Chinchilla7
  • Four-Toed Hedgehog7
  • Crested Partridge7
  • Striped Skunk6
  • Barred Owl5
  • Turkey Vulture5
  • Timneh Parrot5
  • Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo5
  • Pied Crow5
  • Pileated Woodpecker5
  • Gray-Bellied Night Monkey5
  • Redhead5
  • Egyptian Goose5
  • Wood Duck5
  • Chiloe Wigeon5
  • Cattle5
  • Red-Crested Cardinal5
  • Four-Toed Hedgehog (Most Common Pet Hedgehog)5
  • Ringed Teal4
  • Grey Short-Tailed Opossum4
  • White-Lipped Tamarin3
  • Rock Hyrax2
  • Southern Screamer1
  • Shrewish Short-Tailed Opossum1
  • Jamaican Fruit Bat1
  • American Mink1
  • Sitatunga0

Inspection History

A history of USDA inspections for this facility. The complete inspection details are included with report access.

Detailed report viewInspection details included with report access.
Detailed report viewInspection details included with report access.
Detailed report viewInspection details included with report access.

+ 13 more inspections · 1 violation in the full report

What's in This Report

16
USDA Inspections on Record
Latest: Sep 1, 2026 · records through Oct 1, 2026
1
Violations Documented
1 Critical

Preview: most recent violation

Jun 15, 2023
2.131(b)(1) Critical
Handling of animals.
An adult male sitatunga was killed by an 8-year-old adult male pygmy hippopotamus after an unsuccessful introduction
during which the sitatunga was trapped in a tunnel. The hippopotamus had never been housed with any oth...

The full report opens the complete inspector narrative for this and every other violation.

The full report includes:

Complete inspection timeline with dates
Every violation code and description
Inspector narratives, what they saw
Severity ratings for each violation
Repeat offense flags
Links to original USDA reports

How to Read This Report

This page shows the complete USDA inspection history for John Ball Zoo. The grade at the top is calculated by BreederCheck based on the total number of violations, their severity, whether any are repeat offenses, and how recently they occurred. It is not an official USDA grade, the USDA does not assign letter grades to facilities.

Each inspection in the timeline represents an actual visit by a USDA APHIS inspector. Inspections can be routine (scheduled), focused (in response to a complaint), or follow-up (to verify that previously cited violations have been corrected). The badges next to each inspection date indicate how many violations were found during that visit and their severity levels.

In the violation details section, you can read the specific regulatory codes that were cited and, when available, the inspector's narrative describing exactly what was observed. Pay particular attention to violations marked as "Repeat", these indicate problems that the breeder was previously warned about but failed to correct. Critical violations involving immediate threats to animal health or safety are the most serious and should weigh heavily in your decision-making.

If you are considering purchasing an animal from this facility, we recommend using this data as a starting point, not an endpoint. Visit the breeder in person, ask to see the animals' living conditions, request veterinary health records, and compare this facility's record to other breeders in the same state.

Frequently asked questions about John Ball Zoo

Is John Ball Zoo a USDA-licensed breeder?

John Ball Zoo holds USDA license number 34-C-0373 (C), which means the facility is registered under the federal Animal Welfare Act and is subject to periodic USDA APHIS inspections.

Does John Ball Zoo have any USDA violations on record?

Yes. USDA inspectors have documented 1 violation at this facility (1 critical). Critical and repeat violations matter most because they involve direct risks to animal health or problems the breeder was warned about before. Each cited code and the inspector narrative are in the full report above.

When was John Ball Zoo last inspected by the USDA?

The most recent inspection on record for John Ball Zoo was on Sep 1, 2026, and the facility has 16 inspections documented in total. The USDA typically inspects licensed breeders every one to three years.

Where is John Ball Zoo located?

John Ball Zoo is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. You can browse other USDA-licensed breeders in Michigan to compare inspection records before you decide.

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