Council called for review of tiger enclosure seven years ago
Martin Williams
Senior News Reporter
Monday 3 June 2013
THE owner of a wildlife park where a Scots zookeeper was killed by a tiger had amassed fines totalling almost £20,000 following a series of issues relating to escaping animals.
A council licensing committee had ordered a review of the design of the tiger enclosure seven years ago due to concerns animals could escape at South Lakes Wild Animal Park, in Dalton-in-Furness in Cumbria.
Enclosure issues are currently being investigated after the death of Sarah McClay, 24, who was originally from Glasgow, after she was mauled by a tiger.
It has now emerged the park's owner, David Gill, was fined by authorities over escaped animals at his Mareeba Wild Animal Park in Australia before leaving the country as his business failed with debts of £2 million.
Police are working on the assumption human error or mechanical failure allowed the Sumatran tiger to escape from its pen at South Lakes.
There were said to be strict controls in place at the enclosure building, which has four animal pens accessible from a staff area where, among other things, cleaning equipment is stored.
Mr Gill has been criticised for claiming Ms McClay died because she broke the park's protocols by walking into the tiger's cage.
But police later said Ms McClay was in the staff area when the tiger first confronted her and it had not been established it was down to her error.
The wildlife park has been at the centre of a number of licence reviews following health and safety issues raised by inspectors.
Council papers show a review of enclosure design was requested in 2006 after "safety concerns" over a condor and vulture aviary and a new bat enclosure.
Escapes of ring-tailed lemur and coati had also raised a number of complaints.
A chief environmental officer's report called for a review of enclosure design to be undertaken "to ensure that animals contained therein may reasonably be contained within the zoo and if an escape were to take place, that the perimeter fence may adequately deter their future escape".
Two years later, a written warning threatening "formal action" was issued following the escape of lemurs.
Mr Gill left Australia after his park in Cairns in Queensland was accused of breaching permit conditions. He said at the time that he left quickly "under deep fear for both my family and my safety and freedom".
He was charged, convicted and fined more than £6000 for three breaches of the Land Protection Act in his absence, two of those involving the escape of a lemur and cheetah and the unreported death of a lemur in October, 2004.
After being fined he said: "It was pure ignorance of the letter of the law that led to these breaches, it was not malicious intent."
In 2004, the Australasian Zoo and Aquarium Association executive officer Jonathan Wilcken confirmed Mr Gill's application for full membership had been rejected after an investigation.
Queensland's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) also investigated the adequacy of a bear enclosure in March, 2004.
Meanwhile, at the same time in Cumbria, an inspector questioned whether Mr Gill's zoo should have its licence renewed following questions around the security of the fencing around the bear, rhino and giraffe enclosures, repairs to mesh fencing and closer monitoring of walk-through areas.
In 1998, Barrow Borough Council was found guilty of maladministration in health and safety after a white rhino escaped from the wildlife park and had to be shot.
Six months after the escape Mr Gill had a total of £10,000 in fines and costs to pay, after being found guilty of endangering the public by failing to have adequate barriers.
An ombudsman ruled that Barrow Council had failed to carry out an inspection of the planned rhino facilities, even though Mr Gill gave "earliest" notice.
It was also held that the council had failed to carry out a health and safety inspection before the rhino arrived and to ensure Mr Gill fully met the conditions of his licence regarding on-site firearms.
The report said: "This is maladministration and allowed the zoo operator an opportunity to introduce into the zoo a rhinoceros without satisfactory facilities having first been put in place to the satisfaction of the council."
