Zoo boss guilty of illegally breeding animals On 10th July 2002, Ellis Daw, owner of Dartmoor Wildlife Park (DWP) in Devon, pleaded guilty to breeding Siberian Tigers illegally (ie not part of a managed breeding programme) and keeping them in unsuitable conditions (6 tigers were found in a small off-show enclosure). 15 other charges against him were dropped.
Amazingly, despite his guilty plea to serious charges Daw received just a conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £200 costs. CAPS receives a large number of complaints about DWP. In October 2001 we published a 13-page report which criticised animal welfare, health and safety and management at the zoo. This received widespread media coverage, as has this court case. Following the verdict CAPS put out a press release criticising the lenient sentence and renewed our calls for the Zoo's licence to be revoked. We have asked the council why 15 charges were dropped when there was sufficient evidence to bring those charges in the first place - was a deal done to prevent the Zoo from closing and the council becoming responsible for the animals? This verdict sends a poor signal to other Zoo owners. Even if charges are brought against Zoos for serious management failures it appears that they can get off with little more than a 'slap on the wrist'. Local TV news reported CAPS' call for the Zoo's licence to be revoked, but Council Environmental Health Officer Mr Wearden claimed that this would be "very drastic". We feel that the problems at DWP highlighted by this case are themselves very drastic and therefore require a drastic solution. Since CAPS released our report last October we have received many phone calls and letters from people who wish to help close DWP. The time is now right to do this and CAPS is encouraging the formation of a local campaign to draw attention to the Zoo's problems and seek its closure. HOW YOU CAN HELP
UPDATE: The Federation of Zoos have confirmed to CAPS that the zoo's membership of the Federation has been revoked "because the Park ignored a request by the Federation to cease the irresponsible breeding of tigers." Photographs © Captive Animals Protection Society |
Daw
was originally charged with 16 offences after an investigation by
South Hams District Council found a number of serious management
problems at the Zoo. Other charges related to taking animals to
schools without permission from the council and failing to properly
dispose of dead animals. TV news footage following the verdict showed
dead animals in freezers next to animal food. Daw admitted that
some animals may have been frozen for 30 years and that he sent
dead zoo animals to taxidermists.