A zoo which came under fire for supposed animal cruelty has officially closed down, while its owner reveals what will happen with the remaining animals after they shut their doors
A zoo shut down after years of cruelty allegations and the deaths of several animals has begun rehoming its animals.
After being dubbed the “worst zoo in Britain,” South Lakes Safari Zoo in Cumbria is closed their doors in mid-December. They released the shock announcement online, which was met with delight by animal lovers. The millionaire founder, David Gill, has been at the receiving end of plenty of criticism during recent times, with the Dalton-in-Furness attraction being home several animal deaths – and even an incident which saw a keeper being mauled by a large tiger.
Now the company who ran the site, Cumbria Zoo Company Limited (CZCL), revealed where many of their animals were going. They said in a social media post that they moved several of its birds to a falconry centre in Oxfordshire to begin the process.
Other animals have moved to locations in Scotland and south-west England. Oxfordshire has taken its Inca terns, white-faced whistling ducks and cattle egrets.
They have announced coscoroba swans, ruddy shelducks and mandarin ducks had gone to an animal park in Scotland. It’s also known the zoo’s red-ruffed lemurs have been taken in by a Somerset zoo, according to the company.
However some animals are still looking for homes, including their kangaroos, red pandas, bears and its sloth, Stanley. Four giraffes, which belong to two French zoos, are set to be given new homes. The male is staying in the UK, but the females are returning to France.
Previously, the zoo was fined a whopping £255,000 after a keeper was mauled to death by a tiger. In 2017, things seemed to take a turn as they gained a new license and Gill agreed to completely leave the business.
However, this did not help the zoo as photos from inside the attraction showed dead and injured animals from inside. These animals included a capybara which was littered with cuts after reportedly being in close range with another animal and fighting.
Another photo also showed a zebra in a small cage with its hoof stuck in the bars. Animal lovers were delighted and took to social media following the announcement to share their happiness.
One wrote: “I feel sorry for the animals and hope they are rehomed and not ethanised.” Another added: “I’m sad to hear this but following a visit in August I understand why.”
A third noted: “Good! It was rubbish and the animals looked so unhappy. The grounds were not looked after either. Hopefully the animals will go to a much better place.”
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