This is one I hadn't heard about:- Mentioned in the latest RZS publication is a zoo which opened at Tamworth in 1983 after obtaining bears, big cats, monkeys and other exotics as a result of a successful application to the Commonwealth Government. NSW authorities, including the Zoological Parks Board of NSW and the RSPCA had no knowledge of this successful application. After 2 years it apparently went broke and closed to the public. The animals were left in their enclosures with no formal arrangements to care for them. To quote the RZS publication, "One or more people did feed them occasionally but the frequency is not known....Representatives from the Department of Agriculture occasionally crawled under the fence to count the animals." The more dangerous animals were confined to their dens, rather than their exhibition enclosures as these were more secure and provided less risk of the animals escaping. Ownership of the zoo had been placed into receivership. After much wrangling it was decided to try to find homes for the animals. Many were transferred to Notre Dame, a private estate and zoo at Mulgoa west of Sydney, including 4 jaguars, a black leopard, at least one tiger, one bobcat and 5 racoons. A small monkey named Archie was given to a circus. Water buffaloes and native animals went to other wildlife parks. No one wanted the 5 lions or the large brown bear, which was regarded as a rogue and which had been donated by another zoo because it was too hard to control. Consequently, a local veterinarian euthanased the lions by intravenous tail injection. The bear was killed by shotgun. The carcases were dumped at the local rubbish tip, which caused an uproar as television stations filmed it and much was made of the fact that the animals had been sponsored by local primary school children. The whole sorry mess was instrumental in the formation of the Exhibited Animals Protection Act 1986. Like I said, I hadn't heard of this zoo before. Does anyone know any more about it?
I had never heard of it, but i wasnt even thought of at that stage Maybe this is one for our older members
I only remember when it closed. Authorities wanted to go in, the owner didn't want them on his land, there was a standoff at the main gate and it made the evening news in Sydney. Hix
I know the guy responsible. He had photos of the skinning of one of the lions on the wall of his office.
