South Lakes Wild Animal Park South Lakes Safari Zoo council visit

[Strathmorezoo]

In March the zoo was visited by the local County Council ,it was an unannounced visit. The visit found 28 problems, the worst ones being
A work experience student working on their own in the Zebra and Wildebeest stables. Both Zebra and Wildebeest are category one animals.
The visit found only one member of staff trained with firearms (there should be two on site each day).It then almost became a comedy of errors, if it wasn't so serious. The member of staff couldn't find the key to the firearms cupboard and when he did, couldn't explain which firearms were used for what.
In a follow up visit in April, 26 out of the 28 problems had been resolved.
I personally like this place, but they do seem to make problems for themselves. I wondered if they are putting too much attention into the new location that they are slowly moving into

 

[Laboratory 7]

Alas when you have a landlord who is prepared to work with the former owner, I don't think you have any choice but to find somewhere else and make a go of the site, I'm not defending them having a work experience keeper working unsupervised with cat 1 animals, but anyone that says this doesn't happen occasionally at other places is deluding themselves, South lakes are just unlucky in being found out because the local authorities and antis are on them like a rash, because of their own failings when a certain Mr Gill was in charge,to tar Cumbria zoo company with that brush is very unfair they have come a huge way since they took over,yes they still have faults but they are a lot less than before they took over. It will be very interesting to see how ends up running the site once ZIC have them removed from the site I wouldn't be at all surprised if Mr Gill is involved with it again given the previous cack handed attempt to get Cumbria zoo off site, which had more than a little impact on the lives of the poor keepers from ywp ZIC brought into run the site for then. Hopefully what ever happens now that they have all the animals still owned by Mr Gill off site they can move forward at either this site or the new one but I don't see the antis doing that.

 

[lintworm]

Alas when you have a landlord who is prepared to work with the former owner, I don't think you have any choice but to find somewhere else and make a go of the site, I'm not defending them having a work experience keeper working unsupervised with cat 1 animals, but anyone that says this doesn't happen occasionally at other places is deluding themselves, South lakes are just unlucky in being found out because the local authorities and antis are on them like a rash, because of their own failings when a certain Mr Gill was in charge,to tar Cumbria zoo company with that brush is very unfair they have come a huge way since they took over,yes they still have faults but they are a lot less than before they took over. It will be very interesting to see how ends up running the site once ZIC have them removed from the site I wouldn't be at all surprised if Mr Gill is involved with it again given the previous cack handed attempt to get Cumbria zoo off site, which had more than a little impact on the lives of the poor keepers from ywp ZIC brought into run the site for then. Hopefully what ever happens now that they have all the animals still owned by Mr Gill off site they can move forward at either this site or the new one but I don't see the antis doing that.

Sorry, but they aren't unlucky but rather stupid instead. If you have to follow rules and you know you are under extra scrutiny because of the past, then maybe it is wise to actually follow the rules....

Pointing towards other zoos because they also allegedly make such mistakes is one of the worst non-arguments from a playground. Pointing towards others doesn't give you any (legal) standing.

 

[Strathmorezoo]

I think that I must point out, and probably should have done in my post,at the start of the thread, the visit by the council was initiated by complaints from the Born Free Foundation

 

[Jambi]

I wasn't aware that South Lakes were in the process of moving to a new location until today. I suppose at least some of the recent decline could be because this state of transition, but even so, it is sad to hear that they're still having so many problems. I don't plan on visiting South Lakes again any time soon, but once their new site in Tebay opens I'd be willing to visit at least a couple of times.

 

[Pertinax]

I wasn't aware that South Lakes were in the process of moving to a new location until today. I suppose at least some of the recent decline could be because this state of transition, but even so, it is sad to hear that they're still having so many problems. I don't plan on visiting South Lakes again any time soon, but once their new site in Tebay opens I'd be willing to visit at least a couple of times.

News to me also. They do not seem to have publicised this move, or perhaps they have somewhere?

 

[Jambi]

News to me also. They do not seem to have publicised this move, or perhaps they have somewhere?

Perhaps they're waiting until development of the new site is further along or close to finished, and they begin moving animals up there before they start promoting it.
The impression I've had for a while is that South Lakes has been slowly phasing out their collection, with how many animals have been re-homed over the last year or two, how many elderly and non-breeding animals they have, and how little their social media actually promotes the zoo, but until now I wasn't sure why this could be. It now makes sense with the added context of them moving.

 

[Strathmorezoo]

South Lakes bought land at Brockholes Farm at Tebay in November 2022,where they set up visitor lodges. They, according to a spokesperson, are transitioning to that site.

 

[Alwaysevergreen]

I mean, I don't really see them moving the zoo to Tebay. They have been focusing on lodges for a while there. They have plans in place to increase the lodges from 5 to 8, and about 7/8 months ago, they wanted to move Rhinos up to Tebay and other animals and have the place as a sort of resort to stay at and see the animals whilst staying. I don't think at any stage they have suggested they want to be a fully open zoo there, and a lot of the area is woodland and they simply want to offer stay accommodation lodge style. They had said, they would look to offer tours there, when there was more animals, but I get the impression, they want the place to be a resort, rather than a zoo. Whether the zoo closes / is sold, when they've completed these changes and have the Tebay resort fully up and running, is another matter however.

 

[Pertinax]

I mean, I don't really see them moving the zoo to Tebay. They have been focusing on lodges for a while there. They have plans in place to increase the lodges from 5 to 8, and about 7/8 months ago, they wanted to move Rhinos up to Tebay and other animals and have the place as a sort of resort to stay at and see the animals whilst staying. I don't think at any stage they have suggested they want to be a fully open zoo there, and a lot of the area is woodland and they simply want to offer stay accommodation lodge style. They had said, they would look to offer tours there, when there was more animals, but I get the impression, they want the place to be a resort, rather than a zoo. Whether the zoo closes / is sold, when they've completed these changes and have the Tebay resort fully up and running, is another matter however.

That does sound more probable perhaps... maybe taking a leaf out of Port Lympne and other places' books in having animals to view from the lodges ?

 

[Alwaysevergreen]

That does sound more probable perhaps... maybe taking a leaf out of Port Lympne and other places' books in having animals to view from the lodges ?

I would say more like the animal sanctuary in Herefordshire, which has cottages surrounding the collection. So you can view from walkways around, and from looking from your garden, but not intrusive etc and not publicly accessible.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

South Lakes bought land at Brockholes Farm at Tebay in November 2022,where they set up visitor lodges. They, according to a spokesperson, are transitioning to that site.

Well-placed for perhaps the best service station restaurant and farm shop in the UK

 

[Pertinax]

Well-placed for perhaps the best service station restaurant and farm shop in the UK

I wondered if this talk of relocation is because Barrow in Furness is geographically rather isolated. Being near a motorway might be a strategically better location visitor-wise. But to move a whole zoo like that? I know Bristol have done it but to a pre-existing site and mostly smaller species than SL have perhaps.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

I wondered if this talk of relocation is because Barrow in Furness is geographically rather isolated. Being near a motorway might be a strategically better location visitor-wise.

It would definitely help to a large extent, but I suspect that the motive for any such move would also be heavily influenced by some of the factors alluded-to by L7; put quite simply, I think that given the continued attempts by David Gill to interfere with the collection (both directly and through his intermediaries) at the current site, management would be rather keen to relocate.

The British (and wider, European) zoo community was VERY keen to deal with Mr Gill, send him all sorts of animals and take him to their heart, EAZA included.

Up to and including, as I'm certain many will recall, giving him studbook control of seven marsupial taxa - of which two have never recovered from his mismanagement and are now hanging on in European collections by a thread, and one has been entirely lost.

 

[Strathmorezoo]

A meeting of the regulatory subcommittee for Westmorland and Furness council on Monday added several conditions to the licence of South Lakes Safari Zoo, following the inspection in. March. The new licence now includes
1, Providing suitable heating to the old Giraffes house.
2, Modify the boundary fence to the Prairie Dogs enclosure to prevent escapes
3, Ensuring the single Nyala and Wildebeest are placed with animals of the same species so that they can live in normal groups.

 

[Jambi]

A meeting of the regulatory subcommittee for Westmorland and Furness council on Monday added several conditions to the licence of South Lakes Safari Zoo, following the inspection in. March. The new licence now includes
1, Providing suitable heating to the old Giraffes house.
2, Modify the boundary fence to the Prairie Dogs enclosure to prevent escapes
3, Ensuring the single Nyala and Wildebeest are placed with animals of the same species so that they can live in normal groups.

I never did get why there's only one wildebeest and nyala, while I didn't expect this to be brought up as a new licence condition, it's good that this is actually being addressed. The question is would it be better for the zoo to actually get in more wildebeest and nyala, or just re-home the two animals.

 

[Strathmorezoo]

I never did get why there's only one wildebeest and nyala, while I didn't expect this to be brought up as a new licence condition, it's good that this is actually being addressed. The question is would it be better for the zoo to actually get in more wildebeest and nyala, or just re-home the two animals.

I agree. I don’t know how long these animals have been singular, but in my opinion zoos of today should strive to keep animals in pairs or in appropriate groupings

 

[TeaLovingDave]

2, Modify the boundary fence to the Prairie Dogs enclosure to prevent escapes

Shutting the barn door after the horses have fled, somewhat - as I recall, there's been a breeding population of escaped Prairie Dog throughout the zoo (and the surrounding countryside) since the early Gill days.

 

[Baringogiraffe12]

I never did get why there's only one wildebeest and nyala, while I didn't expect this to be brought up as a new licence condition, it's good that this is actually being addressed. The question is would it be better for the zoo to actually get in more wildebeest and nyala, or just re-home the two animals.

Worth noting that they did hold 2,0 wildebeest previously, however, one did pass away, though the nyala has (I believe) always been a single female.

 

[ZooNews2024]

Shutting the barn door after the horses have fled, somewhat - as I recall, there's been a breeding population of escaped Prairie Dog throughout the zoo (and the surrounding countryside) since the early Gill days.

I well remember this situation at Banham too with then all over the deer field and in the arable fields beyond.