SECOND LYNX DIES IN NEW ZOO ‘ERROR’
AZOO is facing calls to close after it emerged that a second lynx was accidentally asphyxiated within days of the shooting and killing of Lillith the lynx, who escaped from her enclosure at the seaside attraction.
Borth Wild Animal Kingdom, near Aberyswyth, has been criticised for having “no understanding of wild animal behaviour or welfare needs” by the Lynx UK Trust, who said a second cat had died after keepers at the zoo tried to move it to another enclosure using a dog noose.
In a statement on its Facebook page, the zoo confirmed that Nilly, an adult female who was unrelated to Lillith, but shared an enclosure with her, had died after the decision was taken to move the animal to “a more suitable enclosure” when they were give 24 hours’ notice of an inspection.
Borth Wild Animal Kingdom said: “Unfortunately, there seems to have been a terrible handling error where it seems she twisted in the catch-pole and became asphyxiated. An internal investigation is under way, and a key member of staff has been unable to work since the ordeal as they are truly devastated by what has happened.
“The authorities were notified after the incident and will be carrying out their own full investigation.”
Lillith, an 18-month-old Eurasian lynx and twice the size of a domestic cat, was killed on Friday night after the local authority received advice from a specialist veterinary surgeon that the risk to public well-being had increased from moderate to severe.
Park staff said that the animal, which had been missing since since October 29, did not pose a threat to humans and were “devastated and outraged” by her death.
In a statement late on Sunday, Ceredigion council said Lillith was “not afraid of humans” and had entered a populated area, and the shooting had been approved by the police, Welsh government and chief veterinary officer for Wales.
A council spokeswoman said: “It was not possible to assess the condition or temperament of the lynx but there were concerns about its likely behavioural response if it was startled or inadvertently confronted by a member of the public, especially by a young child.
“It must be remembered that the lynx is classified in legislation as ‘dangerous and wild’ and the authorities were dealing with an unmanaged escape situation.”
Using a tranquiliser instead was “specifically discussed”, she added, but because of the terrain and vegetation in the area they were told it was “not an option”. She continued: “On other occasions and in different circumstances it may be fitting to attempt to tranquilise an escaped animal but, based on the factors involved with this incident, it was decided that it was not appropriate.”
The council also said it had launched an investigation into Lillith’s escape “to establish whether there have been any breaches of the operating licence and other related matters”.
But the Labour Party has said the investigation should be independent of the council.
A spokeswoman said: “We feel that it is in the public interest, and in the interest of animal welfare, that an investigation is undertaken that is independent of Ceredigion County Council. The scope of this investigation needs to encompass the present and past licensing of the zoo, the decision making process after the escape, and the authority and actions of all parties concerned in the killing of Lillith the lynx.”
The Lynx UK trust, which campaigns for the re-introduction of lynx into the wild in the UK, said it had been investigating the circumstances surrounding the escape and shooting of Lillith when it was informed that the second lynx had died.
Chief scientific adviser to the trust Dr Paul O’Donoghue said he visited the zoo and had the sequence of events explained to him. He said: “What if it had been Borth’s crocodile that escaped? Or their two lions?
“Their leopard almost escaped a few years ago when its cage door was left open; how long are we going to let these hobby zoos run by amateurs keep operating? Will it take the death of a human for someone to take action?”
Dean and Tracy Tweedy took over Borth Wild Animal Kingdom less than six months ago. In their statement they said they knew that there were serious issues with how some of the animals were housed and had been working hard to make “vast improvements”.
They said: “The lynx enclosure especially was not fit for purpose and certainly not up to modern zoo standards. One of the first things we did was put in a double door system so staff could safely gain access and segregate the animals to stop them from fighting.
“Plans are in place to build a whole new enclosure on the hill for the lynx which will give them all the individual space that they need.”
They said the zoo was now closed and would remain so until further notice, adding: “There are many serious issues with this establishment that need to be addressed before we go forward.
“We bought this place not to make money, but because we are animal lovers and could see that this place in this beautiful location needed some serious love and attention.”
The revelation came after the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) said the shooting and killing of Lillith “was long overdue” given the danger to people and livestock.
Releasing a picture of seven sheep believed to have been killed by Lillith, the FUW defended Ceredigion council’s decision that she should be killed after she “strayed over to a populated area of the community”.
The Lynx UK Trust said there are no recordings of attacks on humans by healthy, wild Eurasian lynx anywhere in the world.
It also says the animals have a very low impact on livestock, with lynx in Europe killing, on average, fewer than one sheep every two years.
Farming unions have said Ceredigion council was right to shoot the lynx that escaped from a mid Wales zoo last week and added that the incident revealed the danger of reintroducing large predators to the wild.
The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) said the authorities reacted appropriately after a specialist veterinary surgeon advised that the risk to public wellbeing had increased from moderate to severe.
The FUW said the escaped Eurasian lynx, called Lillith, was suspected of killing seven sheep within a few hundred yards of the town of Borth after escaping from Borth Wild Animal Kingdom – and had since strayed into a populated area.
An FUW spokesman said: “In an ideal world the lynx would have been quickly recaptured, but this did not happen. Given the risk to people and livestock, action to remove such a danger was long overdue. Had the animal not been allowed to escape in the first place, this situation would not have arisen and it seems a number of our members’ livestock would not have been attacked and killed.”
The union released a picture of seven sheep it said had been killed by the lynx, although Tracy Tweedy, from Borth’s Animal Kingdom, said it was “highly unlikely” that the lynx was responsible for the deaths.
Research shows lynx kill 6,00010,000 sheep a year in Norway, with some males killing seven each month, although the figure is much lower in countries where sheep are kept in enclosed pastures rather than being allowed to graze freely in forests as they are in Norway.
The union also said that attacks by lynx on humans have also been recorded, albeit rarely.
But the Lynx UK Trust said there were no records of attacks on humans by healthy, wild Eurasian lynx. It also says the animals have a very low impact on livestock, with lynx in Europe killing, on average, less than one sheep every two years.
The FUW spokesman said: “Despite being around the size of a sheepdog, an animal like this will routinely kill animals much bigger than itself, and the fact it was used to humans increased the risk it posed to the public. Some have already expressed their outrage over the shooting, but the public reaction would have been far greater had the animal attacked an adult or child.”
Last week the the FUW wrote to the Welsh Government and the local Police Commissioner expressing concerns that the danger the animal posed was not being taken seriously.
The FUW also questioned plans to reintroduce lynx in the Kielder Forest region of Northumberland after it was announced in July that the Lynx UK Trust had applied to reintroduce six of the animals on a trial basis.
“It is no coincidence that the places targeted for campaigns to release lynxes are remote rural areas, and claims their impacts on livestock are negligible are not borne out by the evidence from the continent. If they are really as harmless as some people say, why aren’t we considering their release in heavily populated areas such as Surrey?”
NFU Cymru Livestock Board chairman Wyn Evans said: “The decision to euthanise the escaped lynx was taken following expert advice from Dyfed Powys Police, the Welsh Government and the Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales, over concerns for human safety.
“NFU Cymru maintains that the lynx, a large predator, should have been contained in whatever way deemed necessary to avoid any risk of harm to people and livestock.
“NFU Cymru is strongly opposed to plans to reintroduce the lynx to the wild in various areas of the UK. There is a real concern that the reintroduction of the lynx would cause risk to animal health and welfare and have an impact on livestock production and protected species, as well as domestic pets.”
Ms Tweedy said she understood a post-mortem examination had been carried out on one of the dead sheep and that it was inconclusive, with the results of blood tests still awaited.
She pointed out that the sheep would have had to be killed in the first few hours after Lillith escaped and no other killings had been reported during the remaining fortnight the lynx had been free.
“If it turns out it is our lynx, then obviously [the farmer] will be fully compensated for that, but I can’t see how it can be,” she added.