Animal Licensing Policy

Mandatory conditions taken from section 1A of the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 (as amended)

1A. The following are conservation measures to be implemented in zoos in accordance with this Act-

(a) participating in at least one of the following-

(i) research from which conservation benefits accrue to species of wild animals;

(ii) training in relevant conservation skills;

(iii) the exchange of information relating to the conservation of species of wild animals;

(iv) where appropriate, breeding of wild animals in captivity; and

(v) where appropriate, the repopulation of an area with, or the reintroduction into the wild of, wild animals;

(b) promoting public education and awareness in relation to the conservation of biodiversity, in particular by providing information about the species of wild animals kept in the zoo and their natural habitats;

(c) accommodating their animals under conditions which aim to satisfy the biological and conservation requirements of the species to which they belong, including-

(i) providing each animal with an environment well-adapted to meet the physical, psychological and social needs of the species to which it belongs; and

(ii) providing a high standard of animal husbandry with a developed programme of preventative and curative veterinary care and nutrition;

(d) preventing the escape of animals and putting in place measures to be taken in the event of any escape or unauthorised release of animals;

(e) preventing the intrusion of pests and vermin into the zoo premises; and

(f) keeping up-to-date records of the zoo’s collection, including records of- (i) the numbers of different animals;

(ii) acquisitions, births, deaths, disposals and escapes of animals;

(iii) the causes of any such deaths; and

(iv) the health of the animals.

Additional conditions to ensure the proper conduct of the Zoo in all other respects, during the period of the licence:

1. Zoo operators must have insurance cover which covers them and every other person under a contract of service or acting on their behalf, against liability for any damage or injury which may be caused by any of the animals or by other factors, whether inside or outside the zoo, including during transportation to other premises. Any upper limit on the sum insured must be set at an adequate but realistic level.

2. Within one month of the date of the licence and one month of the date of renewal of the policy, a copy of the Zoo’s current public liability insurance policy, and of subsequent renewals thereof, to be sent to the licensing authority.

3. The licensing authority to be notified in writing, at least one month in advance, of the proposed addition of any animal listed in category one of the Hazardous Animal Categorisation (see Appendix 12 of the Secretary of State’s Standards of Modern Zoo Practice - 2012), which is from a taxonomic family of which category one species have not previously been kept in the Zoo.

4. The licensee/s to notify the licensing authority before the temporary removal from the Zoo (other than for veterinary attention or inter-zoo movements) of any animals listed in category 1 of the Hazardous Animal Categorisation of the Secretary of State’s Standards of Modern Zoo Practice. Such notification should be given as early as possible and, in any case, no later than 12 hours before the removal, unless the Zoo operator and licensing authority mutually agree a shorter period. The notification should include details of the destination, the method of transportation of the animal, the arrangements for its well-being and the arrangements for the safety of the public whilst it is away from the Zoo.

5. In the event of any non-domestic animal escaping from the confines of the Zoo, notification shall be made to the licensing authority as soon as possible, and, in any case, not later than 24 hours following the escape.

6. The licensee must ensure that all members of staff are familiar with emergency procedures when animals escape. In particular, emergency animal escape drills must be carried out at least four times a year, recorded and regularly reviewed, this should include at least two drills involving the escape of a category one species (where present) as stipulated in Appendix 12 of the current Secretary of State’s Standards of Modern Zoo Practice.

7. An annual stocklist of all animals must be kept and a copy must be forwarded to the local authority before the 1st April of the year following that to which it relates. This must be in, or similar to, the format stipulated in Section 9.5 & 9.6 of the current Secretary of State’s Standards of Modern Zoo Practice (2012), or those that are produced by ZIMS and cover the period from the 1st January until the 31st December.

Note 1. These conditions are attached to the licence without prejudice to the application, where relevant, of the Secretary of State’s Standards of Modern Zoo Practice specified in accordance powers conferred under section 9 of the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 (as amended).