Updated

Members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians say they're planning to sue a North Carolina roadside zoo that houses bears in concrete pits on reservation land.

An attorney for two tribal elders filed a notice of intent to sue the operators of the Cherokee Bear Park for violating the federal Endangered Species Act.

One of the elders, Amy Walker, says grizzlies are being abused at park.

The owners of the bear park could not be immediately reached for comment Wednesday.

This is the latest development in the long-running fight to close bear zoos on the reservation. Despite repeated calls by tribal elders and animal rights activists, the tribal council has declined to take action.

But protests by those groups helped close one of the zoos earlier this year.