South Lakes Safari Zoo will close to the public at the end of the year.
The controversial attraction in Dalton had a number of conditions placed on it earlier this year after inspectors raised grave concerns over its operation.
In September, Councillor Neil Hughes, Westmorland & Furness Council cabinet member for transport and regulatory services, told his colleagues that Cumbria Zoo Company, which operates the attraction, appeared to be responding constructively.
Members of the regulatory sub-committee for Westmorland and Furness Council added several conditions and directions to the attraction’s licence at a meeting on July 22.
The sub-committee said: “Having heard from the officer, the advisory veterinary surgeon, the licence holder, and having read the evidence in the committee papers, is satisfied that the conditions of the licence are not being met.”
Additional conditions and directions placed on the zoo included:
- To provide suitable heating within the old giraffe house as an inspection previously found the original heater for the enclosure was no longer working.
- To either trap and remove all Prairie dogs that are now living in the easterly end of the enclosure or modify the enclosure fencing to ensure that in all areas it is constructed in such a way as to prevent their escape.
- To ensure the single Nyala and the wildebeest are placed with animals of the same species so they can live in ‘normal compatible’ social groups.
- The overflow car park cannot be used by members of the public until it is repaired.
- To have a closure plan in place within three months of the meeting to ensure ‘continued compliance’ with the zoo licensing act. The closure plan must include a ‘detailed animal stock list’ of animals moving to the new site as well as for those the zoo licence holder is not planning on moving to the new site.
Today, Monday December 16, South Lakes Safari Zoo posted on its Facebook page: “We have some news which we know will be disappointing for many of you. The zoo will close to the public on December 31.
“When we took over in 2017 we did so because of our love and passion for the animals in our care and the wider world, when we look back – hand rearing Cupcake the parma wallaby, training Tibor the giraffe for his jugular blood sample, Remi the jaguar and his cancer removal, Wolfgang the snow leopard and his eye operation, hand rearing capybara, Eloise the giraffe’s pedicures, transforming the lives of Snoopy and the bears with their new enclosure.
“From day one when we opened the doors for free, to today when we will do the same for December, we cannot thank the three million-plus of you who have, over the last seven years, visited us, supported our ventures and ultimately celebrated with us our amazing animal world.
“In 2023 we purchased a 120 acre site at Tebay. Stone Holiday Cottages situated right along the Lune Gorge, at the base of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Howgill fells on one side and facing the Lake District Valley of Borrowdale on the opposite side of the River Lune.
“Alongside the holiday cottages and farm animals the site is home to native wild flora and fauna full of biodiversity from grasslands, trees, ancient woodland, pond, rivers, waterfalls, bluebells, and an array of plant life.
“Part of the site will welcome visitors in 2025.”
Plans state it is the applicant’s intention to house animals including white rhinos, honey badgers, zebras, red panda, sloth, giraffe and lynx.
There would also be farm animals on site including sheep, goats, donkeys and reindeer.
