THE owner of the zoo where TLC star Amy Slaton was arrested has shut down her wild claims about being bitten by a camel in a new statement to The U.S. Sun.
Amy, 36, was arrested on Monday afternoon at a Tennessee safari park and charged with drug possession and child endangerment.
The 1000-Lb Sisters star remains in jail for the messy situation, which involved her claiming to police that a camel bit her.
Deputies from the Crockett County Sheriff’s Department reported to Tennessee Safari Park in Alamo, near Memphis, after a 911 call was made that a camel bit someone.
Amy and her friend Brian Scott Lovvorn were inside their vehicle at the drive-through safari and called 911.
When the police came, Amy had a significant cut, which the TV star claimed was from a camel bite.
Police came because of reports of a bite, but the odor coming from Amy’s car caused them to discover marijuana and psilocybin mushrooms inside – leading to the arrest.
Two children under the age of eight were also present when the pair were arrested, sheriff officials said.
Amy was charged with illegal possession of Schedule I and Schedule VI drugs and two counts of child endangerment.
The pair were booked at the Crockett County Jail.
NOT ‘BITTEN BY A CAMEL’
Now, Tennessee Safari Park co-owner Claude Conley, 44, refuted her claims and gave specific details to The U.S. Sun.
“We dispute that Amy was bitten by a camel because there is no bruising,” he said.
1000-Lb Sisters’ Amy Slaton frowns in mug shot after being arrested at safari park when cops were called to ‘camel bite’
“She cut her arm on something, it’s not consistent with an animal bite.
“Her boyfriend or the man she was with was acting crazy, screaming and yelling and all kinds of stuff.
“He got mad that the police came out there because he just wanted the ambulance to come.”
Amy Slaton’s Arrest
The 1000-Lb Sister star was charged and arrested on September 2.
- Amy and a man named Brian were at a drive-through safari park in Tennessee.
- Police were called when one of them, or someone in their party, was bit by a camel.
- Upon arriving at the park, cops claimed they were quickly confronted by a suspicious smell coming from Amy and Brian’s car.
- Authorities searched the vehicle and allegedly found drugs inside.
- Brian and Amy were each arrested and charged with illegal possession of Schedule I, illegal possession of Schedule IV, and two counts of child endangerment.
- The pair were taken to Crockett County Jail.
When police arrived, the deputies “were immediately overtaken by suspicious odors coming from the guest’s vehicle,” the sheriff’s department said.
Claude confirmed that side of the story, saying that led to Brian’s arrest.
“They started smelling his vehicle and with the way he was acting, that’s when they arrested him.
“My manager was there and Brian was yelling about someone to come help him and wanted to get some bandages.
“He said he didn’t want the police out here and we said we were just calling the ambulance.
“I guess the cops came out because they do a really good job here in Crockett County and they probably just wanted to check on the situation.
“Later he started yelling at the cops about something else.”
‘NEVER HAD ANY INCIDENTS’
“We’ve got over 2800 exotic animals here, including giraffes, antelopes and deer – everything you can think of, just no big cats,” Claude continued.
“We set up the park in 2007 and we have never had any incidents with the camels even though we have 300,000 visitors every year.
“I’m just glad that no one was seriously injured and the family are doing OK.
“My manager said the Slaton sisters have been here multiple times before and we’ve never had a problem.
“I’d never watched their show until last night. I watched five or six episodes.
“I heard everybody loves the show but I have no comment on that.”
THIS BITES
Amy and Brian – their relationship unclear – were arrested over the Labor Day outing gone awry.
Stephen Sutton, a Crockett County Sheriff’s Department public information officer, earlier told The U.S. Sun, “Amy and Brian are still in the sheriff’s custody.
“They went before Judge Paul Conley this morning, and he gave them each $10,000 bond.
“They are awaiting on family and financial arrangements to be set up to be bonded out.
“The officers observed in the car what they believed to be mushrooms and they also smelled did observe what they believed to be marijuana.
“That has been sent off for laboratory testing.
“She had two kids in the car who were under the age of eight, so that’s why each of them have two charges of child endangerment as well.”
It is undisclosed whether the children belong to Amy, who has two young children with her ex-husband.
Amy shares children Gage, 3, and Gleen, 1, with her ex-husband Michael Halterman, 40.
The pair split in 2023 and after a lengthy custody battle over their two children, they agreed to split custody.
“I can’t say whether those kids are hers because they are protected under juvenile laws, but they were not hurt and they are not in safe custody.
“Department of Children’s Services was involved and the children were released to a relative caregiver to take care of them.
“DCS and the judge will work together to determine their parenting situation.”
Amy has been arrested before, including a shoplifting charge in 2010 involving stealing a $7 book from Walmart – she also charged her ex-husband with domestic violence, which was later dropped.
Amy stars on her smash hit reality show with her sister Tammy Slaton, who has faced drug charges in the past.
The U.S. Sun can confirm Amy is still in custody and will be arraigned on the charges on Thursday, September 5.
