UK zoos & lockdown going forward...

Andrew Swales said:
The SI published on Christmas Eve re-classified the outdoor parts of zoos in the same category as those at the National Trust and public parks and gardens. But from my reading this was only under the tier system for tier 4 and below.
Now, if the tier system has been abandoned, we are in the same position where we were during the first lockdown or just after (?) with some farm parks (such as a local one to us), the National Trust and the Wildfowl Trust (separated from other zoo-licence holders) and allowed to stay open and trade?
The major difference is of course that this time as in November, there is no 'holiday' from bank charges as was forced on the banks first time and as yet repayments on CBILs loans and the extension of the leisure industry VAT reductions have NOT been extended by the forced closure periods. Lobbying for an extension by one month to cover November has failed, thus far.
Public donations pretty much dried up during the second lock-down too, so I as I mentioned before, we really are on our own this time...
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The government and its constant inconsistencies are a disgrace and an embarrassment! The only consistency is one rule for zoos, another for the benefit of all others!!
 
Hopefully if zoos are forced to close again they can use the hypocrisy of the government against them and open again but that is optimistic...
 
pipaluk said:
Pathetic, another example of dodgy government deals!
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Yes - back to square one it seems.
The Christmas Eve SI didn't last long.
At least with the internet, they don't have to wait for the ink to dry...
If the intention is to deliberately cause confusion amongst the public to keep them away from zoos; this is a clever tactic; and certainly seemed to be working after Christmas.
 
jde7582 said:
National lockdown: Stay at Home
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Thank you very much.
This does indeed appear to make this lockdown quite different from the May to June one in 2021, when the Government told zoos (afterwards) that they had never been required to close at all, and it was their own commercial decision to do so.
Zoos have been mentioned this time and are required to close, formally separating them from the 'grounds' of 'heritage sites'; and presumably contradicting the legal definition provided in the SI just eleven days ago.
 
Andrew Swales said:
Thank you very much.
This does indeed appear to make this lockdown quite different from the May to June one in 2021, when the Government told zoos (afterwards) that they had never been required to close at all, and it was their own commercial decision to do so.
Zoos have been mentioned this time and are required to close, formally separating them from the 'grounds' of 'heritage sites'; and presumably contradicting the legal definition provided in the SI just eleven days ago.
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I suspect that time that zoos somehow got overlooked in the 'closures' list, and were under the radar, so the excuse later given to cover that omission, was that they weren't required to close. This time, with the higher profile created in the interim, they are not so fortunate.
 
Imagine the scene - a mammal move from one UK zoo to another was planned before lockdown and was imminent. A keeper would be required to stay at the receiving zoo during the settling-in period. What are the chances of this going ahead?
 
Gigit said:
Imagine the scene - a mammal move from one UK zoo to another was planned before lockdown and was imminent. A keeper would be required to stay at the receiving zoo during the settling-in period. What are the chances of this going ahead?
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Very small I would think.

Unless there was a strong welfare reason I suspect it could even be illegal.
 
SHAVINGTONZOO said:
Unless there was a strong welfare reason I suspect it could even be illegal.
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I don't think so - work purposes that can't be done from home are still a valid reason for travel. Doesn't mean it would be a good idea or shouldn't be delayed if possible, but I don't think it would be illegal.
 
If not completing the move would have negative welfare implications, then the risk could probably be argued for?
 
ThomasNotTom said:
If not completing the move would have negative welfare implications, then the risk could probably be argued for?
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Yeah, I think it would be a case-by-case thing really - though I expect most cases would probably be delayed.
 
Gigit said:
Imagine the scene - a mammal move from one UK zoo to another was planned before lockdown and was imminent. A keeper would be required to stay at the receiving zoo during the settling-in period. What are the chances of this going ahead?
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We received Poitou Donkeys from France during the first lock-down. Commercial horse transporters like other lorry and van drivers were still working.
As I mentioned here before, a number of continental zoo animal transporters were advertising during lock-down, stating that it was an ideal time to do moves as the roads were so quiet.
 
Pertinax said:
I suspect that time that zoos somehow got overlooked in the 'closures' list, and were under the radar, so the excuse later given to cover that omission, was that they weren't required to close. This time, with the higher profile created in the interim, they are not so fortunate.
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Yes it could be incompetence/naivety; it could be all carefully planned; it could be opportunistic - I'm not sure we will ever find out...
 
From an email that I received from the UK Parliament petitions team
'MPs will debate animal charities and the covid-19 outbreak on Monday 18 January in the main House of Commons chamber. This is an Adjournment debate, determined by the Speaker.'
I wonder if they'll discuss zoos?
Also, I see some small businesses have had success in making their insurance companies to payout.
 
Andrew Swales said:
We received Poitou Donkeys from France during the first lock-down. Commercial horse transporters like other lorry and van drivers were still working.
As I mentioned here before, a number of continental zoo animal transporters were advertising during lock-down, stating that it was an ideal time to do moves as the roads were so quiet.
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Appears to be the same this time around. Spectacled Bear moved from Belfast to Duisburg in Germany a few days ago. Marwell received a male Banteng from Burgers Zoo in Holland just the other day.
 
Ned said:
Also, I see some small businesses have had success in making their insurance companies to payout.
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Could you give more information as to your source? - as this is contradicted by the industry.

Our insurers are the industry leaders and have formally confirmed in writing that NO insurance companies will pay for business interruption losses due to a pandemic (regardless of what the policy says) as to do so would set a precedent which would collapse the industry.
Indeed they have gone further and this year removed all cover for anything related to ANY Government closure policy, so we are no longer covered for (say) Government closures due to an animal health issue either.
 
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Pertinax said:
Appears to be the same this time around. Spectacled Bear moved from Belfast to Duisburg in Germany a few days ago. Marwell received a male Banteng from Burgers Zoo in Holland just the other day.
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Yes, although the issues are now costs - plus big delays in licence applications.
Due to a mixture of Brexit and Covid, air-freight has doubled and a ferry ticket Dover-Calais has risen by 300%....
 
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