In short - they seem to have from now until June to get there act together, sort out the problems and convince DEFRA they should have there licence renewed.. If they fail then they won't be allowed to open to the public once the current license expires
The report gives a list of conditions which must be met, or be significantly worked towards, in order for a renewal in June to be likely. I will now paraphrase these, along with quoting the preceding comments about the decision:
Comment about the decision said:
The decision by the inspection team to recommend that a new licence for South Lakes Safari Zoo should not be granted at its due date, unless a Condition regarding the management structure has been complied with, is not taken lightly. It must be emphasised that the inspectors are keen to see the Zoo develop and thrive in line with modern zoo standards. The inspectors commend Mr David Gill for his initial decision to step back from the running of the Zoo and to concentrate on its conservation role, but do not believe that at the time of this inspection, or subsequently, sufficient progress has been made in this respect, and note that this decision was subsequently reversed during the compilation of this final report. This is no longer a small zoo and it now houses a large and diverse number of species. Suitable management processes must be in place before a new licence is issued to enable the zoo to meet all its legal obligations, particularly in respect of Sections 2,8,9 and 10 of the SSSMZP. These have been areas of concern and flagged as issues repeatedly over a number of years at previous zoo inspections. The inspection of November 2015 has highlighted 32 Conditions that the inspectors believe must be applied to the licence. This is a considerable number of Conditions for a zoo of this size, and many of these result from the repeated failure to implement fully previous Conditions, thus aggravating the situation and determining the inspectors position. Of particular concern to the Inspectors is the fact that as this zoo grows, it relies heavily on the owner's experience implementing out of date practices and refusing to implement modern zoo practices. In the inspectors' opinion this has resulting in animal welfare issues, a higher than expected mortality rate amongst the animals, higher than expected incidents (such as injuries to the public from animals) and places both staff and the public potentially in danger. The new management structure must include a competent, suitably qualified and experienced full-time Director (or Senior Manager). This individual will have day to day responsibility for the running of the Zoo, will be able to make decisions independent of the owner and will be fully responsible to the licencing authority for the conduct of the Zoo and all its on-site activities. This will be a full-time post and therefore cannot be someone who will spend large parts of the year absent from the site
It is worth noting that the section in bold would appear to be addressed by the arrival of David Armitage at the collection!
The Conditions listed are as follows, along with the timespan they must occur within. I have paraphrased where appropriate.
1) All vegetation and trees in proximity to the perimeter fence must be cut back and maintained to prevent animals from escaping
(8 months)
2) All public wooden walkways and platforms to be designed and maintained in safe condition, and the effect of any walkway or platform stanchions being submerged in water for prolonged periods assessed
(1 year)
3) A written and agreed-upon protocol for liason with Cumbria Constabulary in response to animal escapes, and appropriate firearms cover for the premises, to be reviewed on a yearly basis and provided to the Licencing Authority
(1 year)
4) All staff involved in power washing surfaces used by animals must wear appropriate PPE to prevent zoonotic infection eg facemask, goggles etc. Clear written instructions to staff must be enforced
(immediate)
5) Indoor facilities for the Andean Bears must be redesigned and rebuilt to meet standards, including facilities for the separation and direct visual assessment of bears, adequate ventilation, access for veterinary management etc
(6 months)
6) All staff who work with newly arrived hazardous species not previously held in the collection or within other staff's past experience must undergo a period of recorded training at a collection already holding the species (
immediate)
7) Indoor facilities for the group of baboons must be upgraded or replaced to meet standards (
1 year)
8) Any organised sessions of public feeding of animals involving raw met or fish must be subject of written risk assessment with protective gloves provided as appropriate (
immediate)
9) Removal of sign showing and implicitly encouraging public/lemur contact (
immediate)
10) Lifebelt and a sign with emergency instructions to be provided at the top pond/walkthrough (
3 months)
11) A functioning fly-killer must be provided in the fruit/veg kitchen store area (
3 months)
12) Quarantine or housing of newly arrived birds within the same airspace as birds already within the collection must cease, with written protocols provided for the housing and quarantine of animals introduced to the collection and training for staff in these protocols (
6 months)
13) A written report must be produced for the Licensing Authority by an indeptendent pest control company on the safe and effective control of rodent vermin within 3 months, and the zoo must implement the recommendations of the report
(6 months)
14) All electrical apparatus must be installed and maintained in such a way that they do not present a hazard to animals (
3 months)
15) Insulation in the roof of the bear dens must be protected to prevent the peafowl from eating insulation material (
1 month)
16) Effective non-touch barriers e.g. a stand-off barrier for the public must be provided at the area of Andean bear fencing in proximity to their dens (
3 months)
17) Top lemur house has no effective public barrier preventing access to the house and its doors - house and enclosures must be kept locked at all times when keeper is not present (
immediate)
18) Temporary enclosure of hay bales, pallets and bale twine in Africa House is completely inadequate and must be made secure to modern zoo standards to prevent further escapes (
1 month)
19) During the completion of the indoor accommodation of the Africa house the animals present must be provided additional shelter in the outside enclosure to accommodate all species (
1 month)
20) Flooring of the new flamingo house must be subject of review by veterinary consultants and suitable flooring/substrate put in place to improve health of flamingos' feet (
6 months)
21) A full review of diets and nutrition across all species must be carried out, with records of all diets and changes made documented and kept (
6 months)
22) Corner of Andean Bear enclosure that tapers to a point must be rounded off with electric fencing to prevent one bear being cornered by another in the event of conflict (
3 months)
23) Overall veterinary programme in the Zoo is inadequate and must be radically revised to bring it into line with modern zoo practice. A written outline of this revised programme must be produced and submitted to the licensing authority (
3 months)
24) A full written review of incidents of members of the poublic being bitten must be carried out and an action plan adopted to reduce the number of bites, with a copy of each forwarded to the LA (
3 months)
25) Dedicated staff hand-washing facilities must be provided where raw meat is handled
(6 months)
26) If preparation of raw meat and raw fish is to continue in the same room it must take place in designated separate areas with separate utensils to avoid cross-contamination of food (
1 month)
27) Details of the ethical review process must be recorded and made available to the zoo licencing process (
3 years)
28) All walkways that are constructed of wood must have a surface that will prevent, as far as practical, visitors falling or tripping (
6 months)
29) Regarding the prairie dogs free living in burrows in the top walkthrough area, a written risk assessment carried out by the veterinary consultant on the effectiveness of the perimeter fence must be undertaken and the steps taken by the zoo to prevent escapes documented. Copies of these reports to be forwards to the Local Authority (
6 months)
30) Design of accommodation in the new Africa house must be such that keepers do not have to enter an enclosure with a Category 1 animal to work gates, supply food or move them, and a written document detailing the changes that will be made to the current animal management pracrtices - including risk assesments - must be forwarded to the local Authority (
3 months)
31) The muck-heap in the rhino/giraffe paddock must be moved sufficiently far from the perimeter fence to eliminate its potential use as an escape aid (
1 month)
32) A robust management and staffing structure musr be in place to the satisfaction of the licencing authority for a new licence to be issued, including a competent, suitably qualified and experienced full-time Director or Senior Manager. This individual will have day to day responsibility for the running of the Zoo, will be able to make decisions independent of the owner and will be fully responsible to the licencing authority for the conduct of the Zoo and all its on-site activities.
33) A suitable and sufficent risk assessment for the anaconda in the walk-through area
(1 month)
