Inspection finds 'major causes for concern' at Cumbria zoo
South Lakes Safari Zoo will be discussed in a meeting next week.
An inspection has found 'major causes for concern' at a Cumbria zoo.
Westmorland and Furness Council carried out an unannounced inspection of South Lakes Safari Zoo on March 15 after the authority received a letter from wildlife charity Born Free Foundation.
Concerns raised included a work experience student working alone in a house holding ‘category one animals’ whilst her supervising keeper was elsewhere.
The inspection also found a ‘lack of suitable firearms cover’ when the zoo is open to the public, a council report adds.
Cumbria Zoo Company Limited (CZCL), who operate the zoo, said in response to the inspection in March:
“We are incredibly disappointed with much of what was found on the day.”
South Lakes Safari Zoo was where a keeper was mauled to death by a tiger in 2013.
The zoo, which was operating under a different name at the time admitted healthy and safety breaches, and were fined closed to £300,000.
The zoo's owner faced individual charges on the same allegations but was acquitted.
Following the most recent inspection, members of the regulatory sub-committee for Westmorland and Furness Council will determine if any amendment of the licence is necessary when they meet on July 22.
A summary of the inspection report prepared for the meeting says:
“Although there are significantly less animals held within the zoo, there are now major causes for concern.
“As has been discussed in earlier reports, as the zoo begins to relocate to a new site, there is an increasing danger that senior staff may be spread too ‘thin’, having to work at two different sites.
The summary adds:
“It is essential it is made very clear to the Zoo Licence Holder that the failings found at this inspection are unacceptable and must be resolved as soon as possible.”
A response by the zoo operators said they were ‘incredibly disappointed’ with the findings on the day but disagreed that the staffing of two sites played a part.
The response states:
“In answer to the suggestion that we are in a period of transition and that the staffing of two sites has taken attention from the Zoo, we don’t believe this to be the case.
“Certainly, this is a period of transition, and there is investment into a new site which is addressing many of the underlying infrastructure issues.”
Another inspection of the zoo took place in April with a report from inspectors stating that while they did not doubt the ‘hard work’ and ‘passion’ of the staff of the zoo, they are left with ‘grave concerns’ about ‘many obvious declining standards’.
However the report adds there was ‘no evidence’ of systemic animal health and welfare problems and says there is an ‘excellent veterinary programme’ at the zoo.
A response from CZCL to the April inspection said:
“We fully accept there are findings which should not have happened, there are no excuses, we take full responsibility for these, and we have evidenced where these have been corrected or measures have been implemented to correct them.”