500 animals die in four years at "appalling" Cumbria zoo

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A report into a zoo once dubbed Britain’s worst has revealed a bear is showing signs of “zoochosis” and raised an alarm over visitor safety issues. Safari Zoo Cumbria has come under fire in the past after it was revealed nearly 500 animals had died in four years. The infamous zoo also made headlines after a keeper was mauled to death by a tiger. 

A report by the Born Free Foundation claimed the zoo was failing to meet “even basic standards of animal welfare”.

The charity also raised the alarm over visitor safety at the zoo, where you can pay £65 to “hand-feed tigers” – despite the death of a keeper in 2013.

The zoo says it has made improvements and disputes the Born Free Foundation’s conclusions. 

But an image showing an Andean bear caused concern after the animal appeared to be displaying signs of “zoochosis”. 

Zoochosis is a form of psychosis that develops in animals held captive in zoos. This particular bear was seen repeatedly testing an electric fence with its paw and swaying until food arrived.

According to The Sun, Born Free says it has had 13 separate complaints about the venue since June last year – more than any other British zoo in the same time period.

Officials at the charity said its main concern was the treatment of animals in the Africa House, where a giraffe was seen with “extremely overgrown and curved hooves”, with “just a few branches” put out for feeding.

The report stated that the lack of fresh leaves “appeared to increase the likelihood of giraffes taking food from visitors”.

It read: “During one visitor experience session at least 52 guests fed a handful of carrots to two male giraffes.”

The charity further claimed that rhinos and zebras were kept in cramped conditions inside animal houses and didn’t get enough space due to sharing a paddock.

“In some cases they are confined to tiny stalls which just allow them to turn around,” stated the dossier.

The zoo had previously been fined for health and safety breaches following the death of Sarah McClay, 24, who was mauled by a Sumatran tiger that got through an unlocked gate.

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Four years later a local council report revealed 486 animals had died at the zoo between 2013 and 2016, including a tortoise electrocuted on fencing, a squirrel found dead behind a radiator and two snow leopards who were found partially eaten.

The Captive Animal Protection Society called the park one of the worst zoos it had ever seen following escapes of a rhino and two monkeys. 

The park was taken over by the Cumbria Zoo Company Ltd after its director Karen Brewer fought to save the venue.

The zoo’s previous owner, David Gill, originally opened the park in 1994.

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