Nearly 500 Animals Dead in 4 Years at Horrific Cumbria Zoo
Even in the best circumstances, it’s impossible for zoos to meet all the unique environmental, nutritional, climate, and social needs of the various species they hold captive, but South Lakes Safari Zoo fails to provide even basic care. A new report has revealed that 486 animals have died at the facility in just four years.
The deaths included animals from a wide range of species, including leopards, monkeys, birds, and tortoises. The most gruesome incidents involved animals who were run over by the zoo’s train, electrocuted, and eaten by predators they couldn’t escape. Problems related to living conditions – such as disease and exposure – also claimed huge numbers of lives.
The report also documents that animals at the facility are forced to live in cramped, filthy enclosures without proper bedding, food, and heating and are denied treatment for injuries and illnesses.
Barrow Borough councillors are currently considering whether to grant a new licence to the zoo. PETA and numerous other animal-protection groups are urging them to reject the facility’s application for the sake of the hundreds of animals who are still trapped there. Captivity kills – so it’s time to shut this animal prison down and retire its inmates to an accredited sanctuary where they can have some semblance of a meaningful life.
Update: David Gill, the founder of South Lakes Safari Zoo, has had his application for a new licence refused. This is great news, but the fate of the animals is still to be determined because Cumbria Zoo Company Limited has now applied for a licence to take over the facility. A change of management will likely do little to help these animals, who will continue to have a poor quality of life for as long as they remain in captivity.
Keep an eye on PETA.org.uk for more news about this zoo and to find out how you can help animals in captivity.
