WESTMORLAND and Furness Council has responded to calls to shut down Dalton's zoo after new claims of animal welfare issues.

An online petition has amassed more than 32,000 signatures following claims of animal neglect made by ex-employees of the South Lakes Safari Zoo.

Zoo bosses said they 'emphatically deny' claims of neglect, including allegations that 'fighting' and 'inbreeding' were a common occurrence due to animals being kept in 'inappropriate social groups'.

But campaigners have made fresh calls for the zoo's licence to operate to be revoked.

The zoo's licence was renewed by the council earlier this year following inspections at the site.

Animal rights group Born Free has long criticised the zoo and has called for the council to take action.

 

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Chris Lewis, the group's captivity research & policy manager, said: "Born Free has repeatedly highlighted severe concerns relating to the conditions at the zoo, as have other organisations, zoo inspectors and the wider public.

"Yet the local council have given the zoo’s management chance after chance despite inspectors stating in their view, the zoo’s management are not capable of consistently meeting the standards required.

"No more second, third or fourth chances. Westmorland & Furness Council must revoke the zoo’s licence and work with other parties to secure appropriate and suitable homes for the remaining animals on site.”

Animal welfare taken 'very seriously'

A spokesman for the council said the authority was unable to revoke a zoo's licence under the law.

They added: “The council takes any issues around animal welfare very seriously and will undertake unannounced inspections alongside veterinary experts if credible evidence is presented relating to concerns about animal welfare and non-compliance with the terms of an operating licence.

“The council has been involved in three separate inspections of the South Lakes Safari Zoo in the past 12 months – in December last year and in March and April of this year.

“The inspection in March was an unannounced inspection in response to animal welfare concerns raised with the council by the Born Free Foundation.

“A further scheduled periodical inspection was undertaken in April alongside government appointed inspectors to review compliance with licence conditions and the requirements of the Zoo Licensing Act.

“The results of those inspections and the licence holder’s responses to the matters raised were subject to consideration by the council’s Regulatory Sub-Committee on 22 July 2024, where a small number of conditions and directions were applied to the zoo’s licence, in accordance with Zoo Licensing Act."

The council said recent claims of welfare issues mostly dated from between 2017 and 2022 and though recent inspection had led to conditions and directions, inspectors noted 'with greatly reduced numbers of animals and an excellent veterinary programme, there was no evidence of the serious systemic animal health and welfare problems that characterised the collection in the past'.