SeaQuest Holdings is asking a bankruptcy judge to expedite a sale of the company, which operates interactive aquariums and hands-on adventures with mammals and birds in shopping malls. The company filed for bankruptcy protection last month.

The Idaho-based SeaQuest, which operates an aquarium in Roseville's Rosedale Center, has asked the court to approve a sale of its assets to Z&A Management LLC for $80,000, with a hearing set for Jan. 31, according to documents filed in bankruptcy court in Boise.

That is a much shorter timeframe than a typical 30-day notice to allow parties to file an objection to a claim before a scheduled hearing, according to Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure.

In its plea to the court, SeaQuest said animals at its five remaining locations require constant tending and that the company does not have enough cash or potential future sales to sustain operations and the necessary animal care. It also asked that any objections be filed by Jan. 29.

"If the sale does not occur before the middle to end of February, the welfare of the animals and business operations will be in jeopardy," the filing from last week said.

All equipment, tools, furniture, fixtures and animals at its remaining locations in Utah, Las Vegas, Boise, New Jersey, California and Roseville would be included in the sale, court documents show.

Leila Navidi, The Minnesota Star Tribune
Caribbean Cove in SeaQuest at Roseville.

Documents show the buyer to be Jeff Cox with Z&A, which is part of Noveen Capital, which already owns 4% interest in SeaQuest.

SeaQuest filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December after closing five locations amid reports of animal abuse and neglect, dangerous human-animal interactions and filthy conditions came to light. The Roseville SeaQuest aquarium had failed five inspections due to many of those problems, according to reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

The Roseville aquarium is under investigation in Ramsey County, and a case is under review for charging considerations, the County Attorney's Office said last month.

Several animal rights groups locally and nationally have called for SeaQuest's closure due to its practices.

SeaQuest had assets of less than $1 million and liabilities of between $10 million and $50 million as of Monday, the December filing shows. In December, SeaQuest Roseville cut adult admission from $24.99 to $11.99. On Tuesday, admission was listed as $13.99.

If the sale is approved, the transaction closure will occur as soon as possible, the court documents said.