Petitions have of course been set up to close down the zoo and many have criticized it. What does the future of the zoo look like. I think it could be anywhere from complete shutting down to removal of big cats.
From their facebook last week It has been quite a subdued Christmas here at Borth Wild Animal Kingdom. The zoo remains closed until further notice although all the staff are still on site as care for the animals must continue. Improvements to the site are also continuing as we address serious flooding issues and the whole zoo is having a complete new electrical wiring system installed. Extra heating for the animals that we installed several months ago have put a real strain on the old electrical system and could have proved a real fire hazard if left in it's previous condition. Our appeal against the decision to remove some of our category one animals has been lodged and we have a date to appear in front of the magistrate’s court on the 8th of January 2018. We have been made aware there was some media attention about us yesterday. It seems some elements of the press can write whatever they want, as long as they use the word ‘allegedly’ in the story. It also seems that someone has a grudge against us and is feeding the press twisted stories. It is a shame that the in-depth, investigative reporting at these newspapers does not extend to contacting us to see if there is any truth behind the allegations. I suppose the truth does not sell newspapers. We can confirm the recent passing of a python and a squirrel monkey but there is no mystery behind the deaths and certainly no mistreatment. The Burmese Python in question had a tumour on her lower jaw that was refusing to respond to treatment. After tests the tumour tuned out to be cancerous and as surgery would have been too evasive the decision was taken to euthanize her. This was four weeks ago. Two weeks ago, one of our squirrel monkeys passed away after a long fight against a viral infection. Both animals had extensive, documented treatment by specialist vets over the course of several months and no expense was spared for their care. We hope that come the new year we can work closely with Ceredigion Council to resolve any outstanding issues and open the zoo again to the public. We wish you all a happy new year.
Latest statement from Borth We apologise for being quiet on social media lately, but we have been working day and night for the whole of January on improvements to the zoo. The mood since the new year has been a lot more positive as we work towards tackling the many problems that were highlighted in our inspection last November. As you may have heard we were given 120 conditions, or faults that need to be addressed, on our license which is the most any zoo in the UK has ever been given. Well in the past few months we have met or are working towards meeting 119 of those conditions. Some are minor, such as keeping the petrol can for the quad bike in a locked shed, rather than behind a locked gate, some are major such as updating the electrics (so far two thirds of the entire site have been completely rewired). Practical work has been carried out on every single enclosure to make sure they are fit for purpose. Our focus has been on safety and animal welfare rather than cosmetic improvements, so we have put in new double door systems for the keepers and climbing apparatus for the animals with lots of enrichment to keep them busy. Lots of rusty wire and rotten wood has been ripped out and replaced. Much of what we have had to address has been record keeping and paperwork. Our staff have always been dedicated to the care of the animals, but we have brought in a new, highly experienced managerial team to teach them about modern zoo protocols and how to document everything. We are confident that we will meet all 119 of those 120 conditions. The only condition that we are contesting is number 80, the recommended removal of our category one animals. This refers to our cats, crocodiles, large snakes and monkeys. We believe this was judged on the basis that Tracy and Dean as managers did not have enough experience with these animals to give them the specialist care they require. Maybe they were right, but we have always had the animals’ welfare as our main concern. Not only have we brought in new experienced managerial staff we have also been consulting with many industry experts at other zoos on best practice. Our current enclosures have all been given a makeover, but we will be building new, much bigger enclosures for our animals when we open access to the hill in the near future and we want to make sure they are the best we can possibly make them. The appeal hearing date has been set for 27th April but before that we have a pre-trial review on the 22nd March to assess the evidence and study expert witness statements. We are hoping that by that date we have enough evidence to prove that we addressed any concerns that Ceredigion Council may have with our establishment and it doesn’t have to go any further. We hope to work in partnership with the council and create a suitable home for these animals that is safe and secure and that we can all be proud of. We continue to be closed at the moment while we finish some of our refurbishment work, but we do intend to complete it and reopen on Saturday 17th February in time for half term. We are sorry for any inconvenience, but I hope you will like the changes we have made when you next visit.
Latest update I have the great pleasure in announcing that we will be opening this Saturday 10th February. This is a week earlier than first anticipated which is largely thanks to a Herculean effort by our staff to get the zoo up to code and meet the criteria demanded of us. We will be opening our doors to the public from 10 am till 5 pm every day and hope you will join us to appreciate the improvements we have made. We still have a lot of work to do so please don’t expect a miracle transformation. Our work has focused on the animal enclosures. We have chopped out and replaced a mountain of rotten wood and rusty wire to give the animals homes that are safe, secure and fit for purpose. We hope you will forgive the fact that we still have a great deal of cosmetic work to do on the human habitats. Some sections of the zoo will be fenced off for health and safety reasons, but the Lion extension end of the zoo will be open as normal. Our café will be open all day, we have educational keeper talks and an all new Wild Animal Show which can be seen every day at 11.30 and 3.30. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Hope you have a good visit. Someone I know was thinking of taking their kids this week as it is school holidays here, but as the website is still showing "Currently Closed Until Further Notice" at the bottom of the homepage they decided not to travel.
A few new species now at Borth; Northern Bald Ibis (in aviary with Sandhill Crane, Fulvous Whistling Duck & Laysan Teal) Asian Short-clawed Otter (in former Spectacled Caiman exhibit by the Egyptian Fruit Bat) Banded Mongoose (in former Pygmy Marmoset/Common Marmoset enclosure attached to the Monkey House, which is now called the 'Monkey Bachelor Pad')
I noted before visiting that zootierliste listed them as "no-subspecies-status" but just accepted what he said when declaring one to be African and the other to be Asian (he may have been more specific).
We are pleased to announce that this morning we received the news that Ceredigion Council have withdrawn the blanket ban on us keeping Category 1 dangerous animals. Under new ownership the old Animalarium has undergone huge improvements as a place, which is largely a sanctuary for animals rescued from the exotic pet trade, rises to meet modern day zoo standards. Visitors have reported a marked improvement on the difference to the place since last winter after a thorough refurbishment to every enclosure. Safety protocols and training have also been established, along with a brand new educational programme. We still have a lot of work to do but at least now we can move forward with our plans and hope the council can work with us to help realise them. Now we know we are not going to be closed we can advertise for more staff to help run the place. We will be looking for a manager with solid zoo experience, ideally in working with big cats, but maybe fancies the quieter pace of life that we enjoy by the coast here in Mid-Wales. We hope here at Borth Wild Animal Kingdom we can create somewhere we can all be proud of. A place where animals are cared for and visitors can learn all about these beautiful creatures. This place is largely funded by ticket sales, so we would like to thank all our visitors over the past year. It is only through your support and encouragement that we have got through the past 12 months and it is only with your continued support we can move forward. We have big plans here at The Kingdom and we want you to be a part of them. Borth Wild Animal Kingdom
Those who were critical of the zoo in the wake of the lynx 'noose' death will find some vindication here I think. ‘How do you catch a lynx?’: when buying a zoo goes horribly wrong
