South Lakes Wild Animal Park The latest rant from David Gill

I imagine it's quite a hard thing to study, as far as I know it's not very common and you're only going to know if it's causing significant damage if something goes wrong, or when you do the post mortem.
 
He really isn't doing himself any favours by whining so publicly, is he? Here's the latest:

"After the controversy over the use of ladders when feeding our big cats we can reveal that the council via its Environmental Health Officer Tracey Howard (who is the officer attempting to stop the use of ladders in our feeding regime). has decided to issue an improvement notice so we are not allowed to go into our Rhino facility without all our Baboons being locked up in their caged area. We have been working in with our Baboons since the day they arrived back in 2000, 14 years ago. We have NEVER had one single incident between Baboon and staff resulting in contact or injury. All staff receive training and full assessments and we follow clear and well established guidelines and practice. Yet we are being forced under threat of court action to stop and cage the animals. It is our view that it is essential to continue to work in with our animals to keep them fully used to people in the facility in case we need to act in an emergency. However we are allowed to work in with Rhinos and Giraffes without issue? All professional Zoo inspectors have always approved of our management practices , just as with the pole feeding but this officer who was drafted in by the Council about a year ago has spent all year investigating the Zoo to has no practical experience of Zoo management wants to make our work more difficult and potentially dangerous whilst locking up the baboons for long periods in the day. We do take safety very seriously and always have. We also follow the set applicable guidelines fully .there is absolutely no reason for this enforcement whatsoever. The conflict between the Council and the Zoo is worse than it has ever been , something we are desperate to rectify and our written and open offer of discussions between the elected councilors and management of the Barrow in Furness Borough council have been rejected this week again. We wish to work with the authorities but it is impossible if individuals do not wish to work with us."
 
I find it interesting that the council, via its environmental health officer, Tracey Howard, have now taken it upon themselves to take issue with this zoo's free contact with baboons, an arrangement that has been in force for 14 years without accident or injury. Mr.Gill also states that this officer was drafted in a year ago. Again, is this not just a case of the council now taking a keener interest in the activities at this zoo due to the pending inquest, when they also will be accountable?, if it is the case that all is not well with the zoo licensing of this establishment how come it has taken the council all this time to do something about it, neglect of duty on their part perhaps, or are they just now appearing to be seen more active regarding Mr. Gill and his South Lakes park. If Mr Gill feels that he is being treated badly by the council, perhaps a letter to the local authority ombudsman would be in order, rather than posting it on facebook, which I observe, he does receive support from his many fans, one of whom suggests that South Lakes is a Wildlife Park where animals are kept in far better conditions than those that reside in zoos, what's in a name I wonder!
 
Animal Friendly said:
one of whom suggests that South Lakes is a Wildlife Park where animals are kept in far better conditions than those that reside in zoos, what's in a name I wonder!
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South Lakes is no longer a "wildlife park"....it's a "SAFARI ZOO!!":D:rolleyes::D:rolleyes:

His legions of fans really are nauseating, aren't they? How can they favour the squalor of some of his housing to those of the nearest major zoo (Chester)? They must just think that because there is more contact between the animals and the public, then it must be better (for them, not the animals!). Not so sure that menstruating women that have been attacked by the male kangaroos would agree! :mad:
 
mrcriss said:
South Lakes is no longer a "wildlife park"....it's a "SAFARI ZOO!!":D:rolleyes::D:rolleyes:

His legions of fans really are nauseating, aren't they? How can they favour the squalor of some of his housing to those of the nearest major zoo (Chester)? They must just think that because there is more contact between the animals and the public, then it must be better (for them, not the animals!). Not so sure that menstruating women that have been attacked by the male kangaroos would agree! :mad:
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It is interesting to note that most of this man's fans are of the female sex, in my experience a lot of woman seam to get turned on by men who play about with lions and tigers:)
 
Animal Friendly said:
It is interesting to note that most of this man's fans are of the female sex, in my experience a lot of woman seam to get turned on by men who play about with lions and tigers:)
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hahahahaha.....try telling that to Craig Busch's ex! :D
 
mrcriss said:
Been told by an ex-keeper that there is usually one incident per day during the busy season of human injury in that walk-through mixed paddock.:eek:
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Its perfectly correct and is a well-known fact in places like Australia that have parks with walk-thru Kangaroo areas.
 
The Emu there are also said to be fond of attacking menstruating women too.....
 
Didn't read all this thread through properly (not enough time, just passing through!) but from what I understand locally (we live near the zoo) is that a keeper recently came off a ladder and broke her collar bone. H and S came to inspect the zoo and were not happy with the ladder arrangement. As most ladder climbing is now banned, and no H S documents about ladders being tied down, staff were not wearing harnesses etc, the zoo gave Gill and improvement notice. He's kicking off because he says one incident in x thousand feedings means its safe. I have no idea why Barrow council haven't seen and rectified this H and S problem before. Only that they seem for many years to have turned a blind eye to what goes on at SLWAP for unknown reasons!!!
 
alfiethetortois said:
Didn't read all this thread through properly (not enough time, just passing through!) but from what I understand locally (we live near the zoo) is that a keeper recently came off a ladder and broke her collar bone. H and S came to inspect the zoo and were not happy with the ladder arrangement. As most ladder climbing is now banned, and no H S documents about ladders being tied down, staff were not wearing harnesses etc, the zoo gave Gill and improvement notice. He's kicking off because he says one incident in x thousand feedings means its safe. I have no idea why Barrow council haven't seen and rectified this H and S problem before. Only that they seem for many years to have turned a blind eye to what goes on at SLWAP for unknown reasons!!!
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Perhaps they have seen Henrik Ibsen's An Enemy of the People, or they prefer not to rile Mr Gill any more than absolutely necessary.
 
alfiethetortois said:
Didn't read all this thread through properly (not enough time, just passing through!) but from what I understand locally (we live near the zoo) is that a keeper recently came off a ladder and broke her collar bone. H and S came to inspect the zoo and were not happy with the ladder arrangement. As most ladder climbing is now banned, and no H S documents about ladders being tied down, staff were not wearing harnesses etc, the zoo gave Gill and improvement notice. He's kicking off because he says one incident in x thousand feedings means its safe. I have no idea why Barrow council haven't seen and rectified this H and S problem before. Only that they seem for many years to have turned a blind eye to what goes on at SLWAP for unknown reasons!!!
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I think the pole-feeding practice was looked at more closely because of the keeper falling, as is only right, and in addition to that there appear to be new legal rulings in place about working at heights in the UK (this was mentioned earlier in this thread). The council gave the zoo notice of the safety measures needing to be upgraded, this was ignored, the council gave further notice, this was taken umbrage at.

The council seems to give the zoo considerable leeway, probably because of the number of people it attracts to the area. I gather there's not much else out that way. Despite this if you read the legions of fans on the South Lakes facebook page, the council has a "vendetta" against the zoo and is "trying to close it down". Quite remarkable.
 
I know this is slightly off topic but I often wonder where Mr Gill got his money from to support the park? I have tried various internet searches and nothing has ever come up.
 
I think it is from his animal feed business.

The only thing that surprises me is the sudden burst of action from Barrow Council, it is a pity they did not do the job properly much earlier.
 
Just reading the link. Interesting that this has just been posted on the zoo page:

"Pigmy Hippos secrete a very thick oil all over their skin in little drops to keep the skin moist and shiny. In the winter here with the warm indoor under floor heating system we have for them sometimes their skin gets a little dryer than usual. For the last 10 years we have provided them with warm showers a few times every day to help the skin. In the new expansion of the Zoo We are building a new larger facility and including a small heated swimming pool for them. We have wanted to do this for years and even though we have had forced delays placed upon us for the last 2 years we hope to have this finished in the next few months ready for a warm moist winter by the pool !
Amazing...."

Funny how suddenly this has suddenly been happening for years but has been 'held up' by the council :o

https://www.facebook.com/SouthLakesWildAnimalPark?fref=ts
 
bigcat speciali said:
I see that Mr Gill continues to flout the council and its zoo licence conditions as they are continuing to feed their felines on the feeding poles. "Power and Strength.
I was amazed at the power of the snow Leopards yesterday something to see at South Lakes Wild Animal Park."
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...939.1073741883.100003649437229&type=1&theater
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well, that's because the pole-feedings were never banned. Despite Gill going on about the council "banning the zoo from doing the pole-feedings", as far as I can tell the zoo has simply been given notice to correct the safety issues. Not the same thing at all.
 
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