This week the BBC has published the results of an investigation into Cumbria Safari Zoo (formerly known as South Lakes Safari Zoo) in an article featuring fresh allegations of serious animal welfare breaches. These allegations were corroborated by photographic evidence provided by the whistleblowers, who are former employees of the zoo.

Earlier this year, we published the results of our extensive undercover investigation into the zoo, which has long been the subject of scrutiny due to repeated failures to keep animals, and even employees, safe. During this investigation, carried out in 2023/24, our investigator (who gained entry behind the scenes as a volunteer) found disturbing evidence of serious overcrowding, flooding of enclosures, stereotypical behaviours (zoochosis), inappropriate diet, poor husbandry, dangerous infrastructure issues, and sick, injured and dying animals. One of these tragic deaths was the case of a baby kangaroo, who fell into an unfenced lake in their enclosure and sadly drowned. 

Another serious matter of concern observed by our investigator was the irresponsible practices around guests hand-feeding animals. In one instance a giraffe was seen to be fed hundreds of pieces of carrot (an inappropriate food for their natural diets) by visitors over a sustained period. The whistleblowers’ report published by the BBC corroborates this and goes as far as to say that animals had their normal diets restricted "so they'd be hungry for guests to feed them… It means their diets weren't very balanced because they'd feed them more treat-like foods” and “there were cases where they were buying less healthy food for the animals just because it was cheaper."

Other informants told the BBC that poor animal management meant that there was violence and bullying within enclosures, due to animals being “housed in inappropriate social groups", and that "overstocking of animals led to persistent bullying… severe injuries and often deaths." Something our investigator also saw evidence of in 2023.

The BBC report even consulted a veterinarian who has worked on site who condemned the conditions animals were subjected to, calling attention to animals who “have no water, sometimes they have no food". She raised an issue that Freedom for Animals has raised multiple times with the local authority, that rhinos were overcrowded and kept indoors for prolonged periods in "dirty pens with very little bedding". She also described herself as feeling “helpless”, and attributed the stereotypical behaviours our investigator witnessed, such as pacing and aggression, to the frustration of these poor conditions.

This must end now. Freedom for Animals, Born Free Foundation and other animal protection organisations have been calling for the closure of Cumbria Safari Zoo for years, and yet the failures persist, animals continue to suffer, and the council has so far failed to take appropriate action to protect the animal held captive there.

Westmorland and Furness Council must now permanently revoke Cumbria Safari Zoo’s zoo licence, and permanently close the zoo. They must also facilitate the removal of all animals held captive at Cumbria Safari Zoo to appropriate and accredited sanctuaries, so they can be assessed for release or, if release is not possible, live the remainder of their lives in the best possible environment, where breeding is prohibited and human interactions limited.

Watch this space! There will be further campaign updates on this important issue very soon.

You can help:

Sign our petition to help close down this zoo! 

You can also donate to help keep our investigators out in the field, exposing the truth of how animals suffer in zoos!