A South Cumbria zoo’s licence will be discussed by councillors after inspections found dozens of issues.
South Lakes Safari Zoo, in Dalton, is run by the Cumbria Zoo Company.
It was first issued a licence in 2017 to run the zoo.
It has been inspected three times in the last 12 months after animal charity Born Free sent a letter to Westmorland and Furness Council following a visit by its representatives in February.
Members of Westmorland and Furness Council’s regulatory sub-committee will meet on Monday, July 22, to discuss the inspectors’ reports, hear the company’s submissions and make a decision if any amendment of the licence is necessary.
It is proposed that the following conditions are attached to the licence:
- The single nyala and single wildebeest must be provided with a member of their own species to live with.
- The overflow car park must not be used for members of the public at any time until it is restored to a safe condition.
- A zoo closure plan must be produced.
- Councillors have been told that the zoo has addressed issues raised in the three separate inspections – in March, April and last month.
- The giraffe house must be kept at a sufficient temperature – the permanent heater is broken and the replacement heater has been found to be broken at different inspections, but working at others.
Over the course of the three inspections, Cumbria Zoo Company has been told it must follow a total of 42 directions. It has addressed the bulk of the issues, with only these four actions outstanding.
The company bought land at Brockholes Farm in Tebay in November 2022 and has been hosting visitors in lodges since January 2023.
It is relocating there and one of the concerns raised by the inspectors after the first inspection was that senior staff may be spread too thinly having to work at two sites. This company said it that was not the case.
First inspection: March 15
Inspectors issued 14 directions to the company.
Inspectors added that the extra strain in staff, combined with a lack of investment may lead to failings in managing the animals properly.
They added: “This has subsequent welfare problems and potential danger to animals, staff and the public. The lack of straw, poor hygiene, overflowing muck heap, poor keeping practices, increase in pest problems and the potential dietary drift are all indicative of either a lack of suitable management, or poor management, and potentially a lack of staff.”
It said: “While we don’t disagree with the points raised in the report – we are incredibly disappointed with much of what was found on the day – we do not believe the staffing of Brockholes played a part.
“We do not agree that the new site at Tebay has diverted personnel resources. Those primarily based at Tebay have been responsible for marketing, for dealing with planning and for dealing with the litigation.”
It did add that recruitment was an issue. It said: “Many applicants are not qualified. Repeatedly we find that those who are qualified are not capable of manual labour, and do not expect to carry out tasks they deem ‘menial’.”
The first inspection also found a work experience student working alone, without a radio, in the zebra, nyala and wildebeest stables – categorised as dangerous animals – as her supervisor was elsewhere.
Inspectors added: “At 10.30am, despite the main rhino door being open, no rhinos had been let out of their accommodation; there was no evidence of food in their pens; Huubka was showing a pacing stereotypic behaviour; The rhinos had not been cleaned out; It was not possible to see whether they had water.
“Assuming that they had been placed into their overnight accommodation at approximately 5pm, then this means that they had spent approximately 17-and-a-half hours in this limited space. This is a welfare issue that continues to be a major concern, and must be resolved as soon as possible.”
The zoo said: “A rhino management plan for shared access is in place the member of staff had not followed that plan and under disciplinary investigation had no reason for not doing – sometimes rhinos won’t go out.”
Inspectors said the incident with the work experience student was ‘extremely concerning and must never happen’.
They added: “The lack of suitable firearms cover present when the zoo is open to the public provides another example of the deteriorating management of this
zoo and the lack of staff.
“Whilst these may be resolved in the short term by applying directions, it should be noted that many of these problems have a reoccurring theme. 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.”
At a meeting on March 28, Cumbria Zoo Company had addressed 12 of the directions and had two outstanding:
- Pest control
- Veterinary surgeon to review diets
Periodic inspection: April 29 and April 30
Four conditions and 28 directions resulted from the inspectors’ visit on April 29 and April 20.
The 35-page document included directions from keeping and preparing food supplies under hygienic conditions, after a peafowl were spotted climbing on hay bales; a dirty meat fridge; rubbish in the Africa Moat; heating in the giraffe house; a poorly finished honey badger enclosure; inappropriately placed UV light for reptiles; old raised beds for tigers; out of date drugs; no inspection of trees on the site; benches and handrails in a poor condition and deteriorating footpaths.
Some electric fences were found to be unstable and prairie dogs have spread across the site and were at risk of escape.”
The inspectors said: “More recently where these animals burrow have spread and they have now dug burrows near the Eastern border of the enclosure. Here there is no modified fencing to ensure that they cannot dig out under the enclosure fence.”
They also noticed rats were still an issue at the zoo and said: “Pests, especially rats have been a long standing problem at this zoo and a direction
to put in place a plan to control the pests was applied in March.
“Whilst this has been complied with, the plans being followed are not effective. Rats were noted in multiple areas of the zoo. In particular, three rats were seen in the Tambopata aviary and rat droppings were noted in the keepers’ kitchen and have been recorded on the previous day by the employed pest control officer.
“Whilst it is accepted that baits are being used and free shooting of pests is employed, it is likely that a significant part of the problem is the considerable rubbish and old equipment in multiple areas around the zoo, the poor hygiene, the placement of food, and the failure to remove spilled and unwanted food that are contributing to the problem.”
Cumbria Zoo Company 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.
“It is clear from the report that a distinction is not being made between the owner and operator of the original zoo on this site, and our company which has run the site since 2017.
“This is evidenced in the positive comment relating to animal health and welfare that is negated with a reference to the goings on that predated the operation of the site by Cumbria Zoo Company.
“Financially we have of course invested in the new development, and prioritised development at Tebay to ensure a future for Cumbria Zoo.
“We do not believe this has impacted on the welfare or wellbeing of the animals living at Safari Zoo, and this is evidenced in your acknowledgement that there are no animal welfare or health issues.
“Again we in no way say this as an excuse for the findings of the inspection, but to support our view that we are doing everything in our power to maintain standards at Dalton, and to secure a future for Cumbria Zoo past the end of the lease.”
Compliance visit: June 26
Of the 28 directions issued as a result of the April inspection, inspectors found 26 had been complied with. They added: “The two remaining directions have been reworded to give clarity to those recommended at the periodical inspection.”
Of the four conditions recommended, one was complied with. Inspectors said: “The condition regarding the overflow car park is recommended to be added to their licence. The other two conditions are ongoing and as yet not complied with.”
The report to councillors said: “Cumbria Zoo Company Limited has acted to resolve many of the issues raised at the inspection, the recommendations, conditions and directions.”
