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South Lakes Safari Zoo, which has been the subject of animal welfare controversy, will be closing at the end of this month. The zoo, located near Dalton, Cumbria, has had a tumultuous history, culminating in a BBC investigation in October that revealed “allegations of avoidable animal deaths, welfare issues and a bullying culture”. The zoo denied these claims, but Westmorland and Furness Council issued additional conditions to the zoo’s license in July after inspectors found “major causes for concern”, including a work experience student being left alone with dangerous animals.
The zoo’s operator, Cumbria Zoo Company Limited, is now working to rehome the animals. The company plans to focus on a new 120-acre nature and wildlife park site in Tebay, located approximately 40 miles away from the current location. “The initial development enables the movement of two of our rhinos to the land at Tebay in a safe and efficient manner knowing they will be happy with the environment we have created,” said Karen Brewer, chief executive of CZCL.
CZCL took over the zoo’s operation in 2017 after the previous owner, David Gill, was refused a license after almost 500 animals died over a three-year period. A keeper, Sarah McClay, was killed by a tiger at the zoo in 2013. Despite promises of improvement, the zoo has continued to face criticism. Six people who worked at the site between 2017 and 2022 told the BBC major problems persisted, with some animals “suffering greatly” and some deaths “avoidable”. CZCL was not in ownership of the zoo at the time of Ms McClay’s death and therefore did not comment on that.
The zoo operator has also been involved in a dispute with the Zoo Investment Company, which owns the land on which the zoo operates and wants control of the park. Both companies have animals on the site. CZCL claims that 33 independent government inspectors have visited the zoo since 2017 and approved its standards.
The decision to close the zoo comes after the release of damning reports on the industry by the UK’s Commons Environment Committee and the Born Free Foundation. The committee report recommended that zoos be prohibited from breeding primates for research. The foundation called breeding programs “unsustainable”
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