Dartmoor Wildlife Park changes hands
April 2006

	Wolves were shot after their enclosure became overcrowded
	Tigers were supplied by the zoo to a circus

Update October 2006: A new buyer has been found for the zoo, but just four days after they moved in a jaguar escaped from his enclosure and into a tiger enclosure.

CAPS has called for an independent and public inquiry into the incident, commenting: “There is a long history of animals escaping at this zoo, including wolves, monkeys, racoon, foxes and porcupine and council inspections have repeatedly highlighted concerns over escape procedures.”

CAPS has welcomed the announcement that the notorious Dartmoor Wildlife Park may be about to close.

We have called for the zoo's closure following publication in 2001 of our damning report into animal welfare concerns and health and safety problems at the zoo. The following year, owner Ellis Daw was convicted of illegally breeding tigers and keeping tigers in unsuitable conditions.

We have continued to monitor conditions at the zoo and respond to numerous visitors who contacted us with their own concerns about how the animals are kept. We were disturbed to find that despite repeated complaints to the licensing authority, South Hams District Council, conditions do not appear to have changed a great deal since our 2001 report.

There has been some recent press coverage claiming some of the animals may be killed if homes cannot be found for them. But investigations by CAPS has revealed that animals are already killed at the zoo.

Our investigations revealed, amongst other things:

• The zoo's relationship with a UK circus by supplying tigers to them
• The death of a Caracal Lynx in 2003, killed by a keeper who hit the animal with a broom
• In 2005 a female wolf and two cubs were shot dead "due to overcrowding and fighting in the pack"; the zoo's vet commented in a report "further cull of cubs needed"

While CAPS is obviously concerned about what will happen to the animals, we always have been. We hope that they will no longer be bred and exploited for entertainment, and that they will finally be spared the conditions they are currently subjected to at Dartmoor Wildlife Park.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

	Don't visit zoos - your money keeps them in business.
	Become a CAPS supporter - you can help to make a difference.

Photographs © Captive Animals Protection Society