Government inspection at Noah's Ark Zoo Farm
17-02-2010 This Is Bristol, UK
Noah's Ark Zoo Farm, which is being investigated for animal cruelty, has been inspected by Government animal health officials. A team of two animal health inspectors from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) visited the farm, at Wraxall, last week.
The documents must show where the animals have come from and whether the farm has permission to exhibit them. The visit was not related to any welfare issues regarding the animals.
DEFRA bosses said they could not reveal the findings of the inspection but confirmed they would be meeting with North Somerset Council – which is responsible for licensing the zoo – later this month.
The authority's environmental health department is currently investigating the zoo farm following allegations of animal cruelty.
An investigation was launched following claims of animal cruelty by the Captive Animals Protection Society (CAPS).
An undercover investigator for CAPS secured work at the farm last summer and claimed to have witnessed acts of animal cruelty in relation to mice and rabbits.
Farm owners Anthony and Christina Bush have always vehemently denied the allegations, calling them "preposterous" and claiming the allegations relate to a mouse that had to be put to sleep after a large tumour was discovered on its back, and two rabbits that were disposed of humanely after being born with defects.
A spokesman for DEFRA said: "An inspection was carried out last Thursday relating to the licensing of endangered species kept on the premises. As a result of this inspection, we do have further enquiries to make and will be meeting with North Somerset Council and the police.
"The inspection was not linked to any allegations of animal cruelty, it was a routine visit and we regularly carry out inspections of this kind at zoos."
North Somerset Council spokeswoman, Zoe Briffitt, said: "DEFRA has carried out its visit and we will now be carrying out a special inspection in the next month.
"This is still an ongoing investigation."
Mr Bush, who opened the zoo farm in 1999, said he was glad the investigation was now moving forward and was confident that the zoo would be cleared of all allegations.
A spokesman for Noah's Ark said: "We had an inspection of the zoo farm last week by DEFRA.
"The inspectors were positive during their visit and we are awaiting the outcome of their report.
"We are glad the investigation is now moving forward and we are confident that we will be cleared of all allegations of animal cruelty and we can put this matter behind us."
Seven protestors from the Bristol Animal Rights Collective staged a three-and-a-half hour protest outside the zoo farm on Saturday handing out leaflets to visitors.
The zoo farm has also printed its own leaflet refuting the allegations that it has handed out to visitors to the farm.
The zoo farm opened in 1998 and now is home to more than 100 species of animals including giraffes, rhinos, tigers, emus, wallabies and camels, and last year welcomed 130,000 visitors through its doors.
(Bron: http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/)
(Bron foto: http://images.google.nl/imgres?imgurl=http://newhumanist.org.uk/images/0909-Outside-Sign.jpg&imgrefurl=http://blog.newhumanist.org.uk/2009/12/noahs-ark-zoo-farm-expelled-from.html&usg=__sIKPee7rOok7DZClx3W-WEmRne8=&h=400&w=299&sz=112&hl=nl&start=26&sig2=yrkBcqVvTdwdFhViytwziQ&itbs=1&tbnid=h6I5IO_lkxLDdM:&tbnh=124&tbnw=93&prev=/images%3Fq%3DNoah%2527s%2BArk%2BZoo%2BFarm%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Dnl%26rlz%3D1T4GGLJ_nl%26sa%3DN%26start%3D20&ei=FNB7S-izH4m6jAeY_ZmrAw)
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