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15 Nov 2017

Gove seeks ‘evidence-based advice’ on zoo licensing reforms in wake of Cumbria tragedy

A review of the zoo licensing system is underway in the UK following the Cumbria zoo scandal which saw the death of nearly 500 animals in just four years.

A report by the government advisory Zoos Expert Committee will examine lessons from the case of South Lakes Safari Zoo in Dalton and propose changes to the ways zoos are licensed, in order to prevent similar neglect happening again at any animal attraction in the UK.

The review was ordered by secretary of state for the environment Michael Gove.

“The Zoos Expert Committee is currently considering the lessons that can be learnt from the South Lakes Safari Zoo case in relation to the zoo licensing system,” Gove wrote in a letter to local MP John Woodcock.

“We've tasked them with reviewing the case and providing the government with clear, evidence-based advice on the lessons learnt in relation to the zoo licensing system. We will consider this advice carefully when we receive it in due course.”

South Lakes Safari Zoo had 486 animals die under its care between 2013 and 2016, from causes including emaciation, hypothermia and electrocution. The zoo was also found to have euthanised lion cubs after overbreeding them.

One of its zookeepers also died – Sarah McClay was mauled to death when a Sumatran tiger got through an unlocked gate in 2013.

Since the tragedy at the zoo in his constituency, Woodcock has been calling for reforms to the zoo licensing process.

“We need a fit and proper persons test so those involved in running a failed zoo can be barred from obtaining a new licence, and a more professional regulatory system that mirrors the high standards seen in other areas where health and welfare are at risk,” Woodcock told local paper the News and Star.

“It's a huge boost to the campaign that the government is looking seriously at this and I look forward to making the case to the secretary of state when I meet with him to discuss my proposals.”

According to a report on conditions at South Lakes Safari Zoo, zoo inspectors found “significant problems caused by overcrowding, poor hygiene, poor nutrition, lack of suitable animal husbandry and a lack of any sort of developed veterinary care”.

The zoo has been allowed to remain open after zoo founder and owner David Gill stepped aside and staff formed the Cumbria Zoo Company Ltd (CZCL) to lease and run the site. CZCL was granted a license by Barrow Council after promising a “change of culture”.