Wildlife Safari officials in Winston say they are working to remedy issues directly related to cheetahs and fencing; wildlife advocacy group expresses ongoing concerns over leashed big cat encounters

Southern Oregon-based Wildlife Safari has been denied accreditation status for the first time in four decades through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

The 600-acre, drive-through animal park was one of three facilities in the U.S. — of 33 reviewed this fall — announced Sept. 29 during the AZA’s Annual Conference in Portland.

Tucked into the tiny burb of Winston, the park has billboards and other advertising positioned up and down the Interstate 5 corridor in Southern Oregon and attracts tens of thousands of visitors from around the Pacific Northwest each year.

As one of two national accreditations, AZA accreditation is considered the more stringent, compared to the Zoological Association of America, and had been previously held by the wildlife drive-through park near Roseburg for over 40 years,…