South Lakes Safari Zoo facts for kids
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| Date opened | 28 May 1994 |
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| Location | Dalton-in-Furness, Cumbria, England |
| Land area | 51-acre (21 ha) |
| Coordinates | 54°10′00″N 3°10′07″W / 54.1666°N 3.1686°W |
| No. of animals | 1,000+ (pre expansion) |
| No. of species | 150+ (pre expansion) |
| Memberships | EAZA |
South Lakes Safari Zoo (formerly South Lakes Wild Animal Park) is a 51-acre (21 ha) zoo established in 1994 by David Gill, and located in Cumbria, England. Its name refers to its proximity to the Lake District, though it lies entirely within the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness on the outskirts of Dalton.
After an initial rapid growth, the zoo became one of Cumbria's most successful tourist attractions. However, under Gill's ownership the zoo had a number of controversies, emerging both from his personal life and his management of the zoo. Significant concerns over animal welfare and the death of an employee eventually led to Gill losing his license to operate the zoo in 2017, which has under a new management team seen a "marked improvement" in animal welfare.
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Ownership
The Zoo Investment company purchased South Lakes Zoo in January 2021. Prior to this the Zoo was owned by David Gill and from 2017 the zoo has been operated by Cumbria Zoo Company Ltd, of which Karen Brewer is the manager. Prior to this, it had been operated by its founder, David S. Gill. Gill retained ownership of the land on which the zoo sits until January 2021. In 2018 his company was placed into administration following financial difficulties.
History
1994–2000: Opening and expansion
The zoo was opened by David S Gill and his family in 1994 on converted farmland. Construction started in 1993, and the park was officially opened on 28 May 1994. The park gradually expanded over the next few years, growing form 55,000 visitors in 1995 to 220,000 visitors in 1999. Major attractions in early years included its then-unique in Britain holding of the world's smallest (Sumatran) and largest (Siberian) tiger subspecies. It created a successful breeding programme for the critically endangered Sumatran tiger. The zoo had its first major incident in 1997, when a three-ton white rhino escaped from its pen and was subsequently shot dead by owner David Gill in an adjacent field. Gill was later fined £10,000 for failing to keep the animal adequately enclosed.
2001–2012: Continued growth and disputes
The park continued to grow, with a wider range of African animals, penguins and a cheetah coming to the park in the early 2000s. In 2004, the park's owner David Gill first suggested moving the park away from its site in Dalton to one closer to the M6 in south-eastern Cumbria. In 2006, a car-park was constructed to cope with the zoo's expansion, though without planning permission: after a long struggle with Barrow-in-Furness Borough Council, permission was eventually granted in 2007 following a complaint by Gill to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, who heavily criticised the Council. In 2006, the park itself was also criticised by inspectors following the escapes of lemurs and a coyote.
2008 would be equally eventful for the park. The introduction of female rhinos led to the birth of white rhino Nyala at the park born on 1 June 2008, and Zimba, on 11 September 2008. In the same year, 31 of the park's 120 lemurs died in a fire. The fire destroyed three of the wooden huts in which they were enclosed. A spokesman for the fire service said it was believed the lemurs died as a result of smoke inhalation, and park owner David Gill said that the fire was probably caused by a faulty electrical heater. The lemurs were usually allowed to roam the park at night, but had been enclosed because of the cold weather. Gill was able to save 13, including the belted ruffed and Alaotran gentle species, but many of ring tailed, red ruffed, white-fronted, and black species died in the blaze. Gill said that for staff, who knew many of the lemurs by name, the loss was "devastating", and also that the deaths were "not just a massive blow for the park but for the European Breeding Programmes the animals were involved with." In the same year, Gill once again threatened to leave the zoo's Dalton site, following further conflict with the Council. Gill again stood unsuccessfully for election, losing by one vote.
In May 2009, the zoo announced an expansion plan that would increase the park size from 17 acres (6.9 ha) to about 51 acres (21 ha). The expansion was required in order to introduce new species of animals, and create larger enclosures for the animals at the zoo. Added revenues helped the zoo increase its donations to its two conservation charities. Plans for the expansion were initially rejected by Barrow Borough Council's planning committee in 2010, largely due to concerns about traffic problems due to the proposed new entrance from the U6097, a minor road off the A590. After an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate, the expansion was approved in February 2012. Following work to the road, work began on expansion to the park in 2014. In 2013, the zoo was renamed the South Lakes Safari Zoo.
2017–: New ownership
In January 2018, the RSPCA ended its investigations into the Zoo, happy that the new owners had made significant improvements to it. The Zoo was the subject of a BBC Two programme 'Trouble at the Zoo' on 8 February 2018, which documented the new managements efforts to reform the zoo. A further inspection in May 2018 was satisfied that further improvements had been achieved, with a "marked improvement" in animal welfare.
