Bieber Fuck-Up Cements Bowmanville Zoo's Rep as the Worst Zoo in Canada

Even in death, it seems, the Bowmanville Zoo is destined for scandal.

The zoo, which rose to notoriety when its former director Michael Hackenberger called a baboon a "fucking cocksucker" live on Breakfast Television, is closing its doors Oct. 10. Yesterday, while announcing the news, the zoo promoted a fundraiser to help pay for the cost of transplanting its animals (hopefully to some place less embarrassing, but not Edmonton).

"BFF" which stands for "Bieber Family Fun Day" will take place this Sunday. The event, priced at an insane $295 per ticket, was to include a "meet and greet" with the entire Bieber clan.

"I can confirm Justin will be at the zoo on Sunday," zoo spokesman Angus Carroll told the Toronto Star.

As news of BFF made the rounds on social media however, Bieber's dad Jeremy denied being involved in any way.

"My family is in no way affiliated or supports any zoo. Nor are we apart of or the host of any fundraiser."

That's not entirely true. In April, the Biebs was seen in a photo posing with a tiger at his dad's engagement party, held at the zoo. He was promptly slammed by animal activist group PETA, whose senior vice president Lisa Lange said "Justin Bieber is lucky not to have had his throat torn out by this stressed captive tiger." Post Purpose, that would definitely have been a shame.

Carroll has since backpedalled, saying Bieber "may or may (not) attend." I'm willing to bet people would be less down to pay $295 if there's no chance of hearing "Sorry" live. (The zoo is reportedly refunding tickets to those who purchased them in Bieber-motivated haste.)

Info on the event page for BFF, meanwhile, has been replaced with private lion cub and lemur tour packages.

Given the zoo's reputation though, this fuck up doesn't seem out of character.

Going back to Hackenberger for a second. This is a man who cussed out a baboon for not being able to ride a mini horse like a pro, as if that's a skill that would come naturally to a monkey. Later, PETA posted a video of him in which he appeared to be repeatedly whipping a Siberian tiger, and, oblivious to the fact he was being secretly filmed, said "If we'd been running a videotape the whole time you were here and you did a 45-second montage of the times I struck this animal, PETA would burn this place to the ground."

He was later charged with four counts of causing an animal distress and one of failing to comply with the prescribed standards of care for an animal by the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) and resigned his position.

The zoo was also investigated for allegedly shooting a giraffe with a BB gun, which, I'm no expert, but doesn't seem like standard animal care protocol.

In light of all this, the zoo's closure after 97 years feels somewhat less tragic.

Farewell, Bowmanville Zoo. Short of being responsible for the death of Harambe, there's not a whole lot more you could have done to disgrace yourself.

Follow Manisha Krishnan on Twitter.