In fairness to the zoo, if they have a pair of a species and one dies of old age, what do they do with the other one? With a lot of ageing animals you're going to end up with a lot of single individuals - and of course if you get a new companion they may not get on, or the remaining 'oldie' might pass away soon after leaving the new arrival on their own! If there are other genuine welfare concerns then fair enough, but that alone seems a rather harsh thing to pick on.
South Lakes Wild Animal Park South Lakes Safari Zoo News 2024
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In fairness to the zoo, if they have a pair of a species and one dies of old age, what do they do with the other one? With a lot of ageing animals you're going to end up with a lot of single individuals - and of course if you get a new companion they may not get on, or the remaining 'oldie' might pass away soon after leaving the new arrival on their own! If there are other genuine welfare concerns then fair enough, but that alone seems a rather harsh thing to pick on.
Alwaysevergreen
Well-Known Member
Whilst in some ways this is a fair point, it could also be described as poor forward planning. If you have an aging collection, you should be proactive and looking at your options long before you are left with singular animals. This is not so much an issue with animals such as Big Cats, as they are generally solitary, but when it comes to social animals, every zoo should be proactive and not reactive. Take Woburn for a good example, two aging female Sea Lions. They were considering moving them on, and replacing with Fur Seals, but when Banham were left with a singular Sea Lion, they agreed she could move to Woburn to join their two, decreasing the chances of a singular animal left, and enabled Banham to take on Fur Seals.
South Lakes have seen a large drop in many species lately, with several moving to other zoos, some passing away, but there doesn't appear to be much new coming in, just a mass of animals that have previously been over populated. If there is now a case of social species being down to singles, questions surely need to be raised over collection planning, or lack of it as the case may be.
ZooNews2024
Well-Known Member
The above is over-simplistic. 'Collection planning' is not what it was. Since Brexit 90% of animal transports between the UK zoos and those in mainland Europe have stopped, and many mainland collections will no longer send animals to their former colleagues in the UK, because the whole thing is much too expensive and much too complicated. Transport prices have risen by up to 500% if it is possible to arrange at all, and CITES paperwork is increasingly protracted taking many, many months; and many foreign zoos are unable or unwilling to wait. Whatever a collection plan says, if it is not possible to source or transport an animal, its potential mate will remain single. This applies to all zoos and not just South Lakes.
Sometimes of course other solutions exist, such as keeping herd spp in mixed spp herds, or mixed species pairs, keeping the single animal off-show so that it does not offend anyone, passing it on to some 'rescue centre' where it wont be so visible, or euthanasia...
The issues of transport are worsening rather than improving, so this issue will become more and more common.
This appears to be a zoo issue only, as it seems that many spp are being imported privately without restriction and those zoos which have contact with private collections are able to keep up their diversity.
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Alwaysevergreen
Well-Known Member
Given South Lakes are not Biaza, they as far as I know do trade with the Private Trade. They also list their surplus animals on a non Biaza surplus list which a number of private collections are on, smaller zoos, colleges and farm parks. They list a lot on it as well. Whilst I accept the above, and it affects a lot of collections, South Lakes have moved a lot on in the last 18 months, so clearly haven't struggled too much to move on animals.
ZooNews2024
Well-Known Member
If you are stocking and de-stocking an animal collection this way, there is little planning involved, and 'collection planning' largely goes out of the window, as you will have no real idea of what will be available and what will not. You are accusing South Lakes of lack of collection planning, but they will not be able to plan if they dont know what is coming up.
Covid and Brexit together have taken a large chunk out of many animals lives and suddenly many zoo collections have larger numbers of elderly animals - and without the very free movement between zoos on the mainland and UK, this non-replaceable aging population trend will only worsen. Some zoos are making the effort and spending the money, but the new World many UK zoos find themselves in is a very different one to even a decade ago. A new uniformity is creeping in, just look at the number of DikDiks, Binturongs and Sloths exhibited today...
Baringogiraffe12
Well-Known Member
I can confirm that I saw both individuals in this enclosure back in January.
Announced on the zoo's Facebook page that two of the current white rhino herd will be leaving shortly. The zoo's breeding bull, Mazungu (sired ten calves) will be leaving at the end of August, one of his offspring, Azeeza will also be leaving to a different collection in the near future. The park hasn't announced where both individuals are going as they are leaving it up to the zoo the rhinos are moving to. Furthermore, in the post, the zoo state that another of the individuals, Iniko was supposed to leave with Azeeza however, the move has been blocked over "animal ownership" with the current landlords of the zoo.
Safari Zoo | Ulverston
Taken from social media
It’s been GRRREAT!
Guys, we have some news that we know will disappoint many – Sumatran Tigers Cinta and Kumbuh will be leaving Cumbria within the next 2 months. We don’t have an date set as yet, we anticipate it to be mid September and wanted to give you all as much notice as we could to say your goodbyes.
The Tiger Twins are almost 10 years old and have been in Dalton since they were just over a year, it is time for them to see the world (they have itchy paws!).
The Twins are headed overseas, they are off to an incredible facility sourced at our request by a Senior Member of BIAZA who has been working with us behind the scenes since 2017, which means you can rest assured they have a pawesome future ahead. Tigers in the wild can roam 32km in just one night – Cinta and Kumbuh are off to a facility offering much more space for them to enjoy and explore.
As always, it is up to the receiving institution to announce their arrival so we cannot let you know exactly where they are destined just yet, but we will bring you news of how they are settling in as soon as we can.
Does this leave them with no tigers after this departure?
It’s been GRRREAT!
Guys, we have some news that we know will disappoint many – Sumatran Tigers Cinta and Kumbuh will be leaving Cumbria within the next 2 months. We don’t have an date set as yet, we anticipate it to be mid September and wanted to give you all as much notice as we could to say your goodbyes.
The Tiger Twins are almost 10 years old and have been in Dalton since they were just over a year, it is time for them to see the world (they have itchy paws!).
The Twins are headed overseas, they are off to an incredible facility sourced at our request by a Senior Member of BIAZA who has been working with us behind the scenes since 2017, which means you can rest assured they have a pawesome future ahead. Tigers in the wild can roam 32km in just one night – Cinta and Kumbuh are off to a facility offering much more space for them to enjoy and explore.
As always, it is up to the receiving institution to announce their arrival so we cannot let you know exactly where they are destined just yet, but we will bring you news of how they are settling in as soon as we can.
Does this leave them with no tigers after this departure?
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Yes. They are the only Tiger's onsite at the moment
What are people's opinions on SL? I've never visited so can't voice too much of an opinion.
Is there room for extension(if they wanted to) and would they be able to house any more big animals?
Wonder if there's any plans to bring in new species or increase volumes on existing
Is there room for extension(if they wanted to) and would they be able to house any more big animals?
Wonder if there's any plans to bring in new species or increase volumes on existing
Based on its history, and the responses/opinions it may well produce, this is probably worthy of its own thread!
I'm not talking about the past(we're all aware of the history of it) I'm talking about the layout, if it could be extended, what could be added to the collection etc
JonWild
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately, I don’t think South Lakes has any more space to add any “big animals” such as maybe cheetahs or camels for example. Maybe much smaller species such as mongoose, porcupine and small monkeys and birds etc., but I cannot see them getting anymore animals or buying much more land as the zoo seem like they have not done any new development since 2022.
Baringogiraffe12
Well-Known Member
They’ve acquired honey badger back in 2023 which was a nice development - however, I concur your thoughts here, the reduction of species seems to be the running theme at the moment. In the last year, Humboldt penguin, wolves and soon, Sumatran tigers would have all left the collection. Other species have also died out with no plans to replace them, there’s been no breeding success for any notable species with the latest major birth being the rhino calves in 2022.
It would be interesting to see where the collection is come this time in the next twelve to eighteen months. I think a large portion of the future of South Lakes Safari Zoo *depends* on the potential moving of site from Dalton.
Why are they not a member of BIAZA?
Where would they be moving to? Is there a plan or are there options to move to a new location?
Alwaysevergreen
Well-Known Member
Vultures, Andean Condors, Macaws, & Flamingos have all left the collection in the last few months as well, and Shell Ducks now live in the Penguin enclosure, so with the exception of some Boat Billed Heron, White Stork, and Ducks, the whole bird collection has pretty much disappeared.
Apparently so. The announcement gives no real reason behind the departure of the tigers. Nor are there any answers given on their FB page where people have asked what's happening, will they be replaced by new tigers etc. Seems they are staying tight-lipped about all these departures, even as significant a one as this. At some stage of this dwindling stock they will perhaps be forced into an explanation though.
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I can confirm that I saw both individuals in this enclosure back in January.
Announced on the zoo's Facebook page that two of the current white rhino herd will be leaving shortly. The zoo's breeding bull, Mazungu (sired ten calves) will be leaving at the end of August, one of his offspring, Azeeza will also be leaving to a different collection in the near future. The park hasn't announced where both individuals are going as they are leaving it up to the zoo the rhinos are moving to. Furthermore, in the post, the zoo state that another of the individuals, Iniko was supposed to leave with Azeeza however, the move has been blocked over "animal ownership" with the current landlords of the zoo.
Safari Zoo | Ulverston
Azeeza has been moved to Woburn this week.
Baringogiraffe12
Well-Known Member
Mazungo has been temporarily moved to ZSL Whipsnade.I can confirm that I saw both individuals in this enclosure back in January.
Announced on the zoo's Facebook page that two of the current white rhino herd will be leaving shortly. The zoo's breeding bull, Mazungu (sired ten calves) will be leaving at the end of August, one of his offspring, Azeeza will also be leaving to a different collection in the near future. The park hasn't announced where both individuals are going as they are leaving it up to the zoo the rhinos are moving to. Furthermore, in the post, the zoo state that another of the individuals, Iniko was supposed to leave with Azeeza however, the move has been blocked over "animal ownership" with the current landlords of the zoo.
Safari Zoo | Ulverston
Baringogiraffe12
Well-Known Member
South Lakes management hits the news again...
South Lakes Zoo faces animal welfare and bullying allegations - BBC News
South Lakes Zoo faces animal welfare and bullying allegations - BBC News
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