‘No urgent animal welfare issues’ found at Pouakai Zoo

An inspection at Pouakai Zoo has found no urgent issues with animal welfare.

The New Plymouth zoo, on Carrington Rd, came under fire this week after Taranaki Animal Save laid a complaint with the Ministry for Primary Industries.

The animal welfare activist group had posted pictures online of animals at the zoo that it claimed were injured or unwell. This prompted a petition calling for the zoo to be closed and the animals to be rehomed.

Glen Burrell, the ministry’s director of compliance and response, said yesterday that the ministry’s initial on-site inspection with an independent veterinarian had been completed.

“Initial inquiries indicate that there are no urgent animal welfare issues to be addressed.”

The ministry took animal welfare complaints seriously, and it was important to comprehensively and fairly investigate allegations, he said.

Officials went to the zoo on Wednesday with the vet to make “thorough checks”, Burrell said.

“Dealing with exotic animals requires careful work and a good understanding of their specific needs, and it is likely we will carry out additional checks.”

Xincai Liu, who owns the zoo with her husband, Adam Horne, said on Wednesday that she was confident they would pass the inspection.

Taranaki Animal Save is the local branch of a nationwide group that protests against a wide range of animal issues, including horse racing, livestock exports, rodeos and the dairy industry.

The group posted photos of a capuchin monkey that appeared to have lost its fur, as well as one peeling paint in its enclosure. The post also included a photo of a bird’s leg that appeared to be injured.

The zoo has been in its location near the Pouakai Range for decades, and is well known for its big cats, which in the past included white tigers.

It also has monkeys, meerkats, ostriches and farmyard animals.