Defra ended restrictions due to foot and mouth disease on 31 Dec 2007. Blue tongue is still being monitored but since 20 Dec 2007 we have been in a "vector free period". This will last over the winter - the midges which carry the disease are not around. During this period licences can be granted for livestock movement into the surveillance and protection zones, and for transit through the zones. Effectively, there's no barrier to livestock movements at the moment (subject to licences being granted). The map of the protection and surveillance zones on Defra's website is interesting. The only collections which fall outside the zones are in south west England, Wales, northern England and Scotland, so theoretically zoos in these regions are free to exchange animals. Chester and Bristol both lie just outside the surveillance zone. http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/bluetongue/pdf/declaration-pzsz071231.pdf