A jaguar was killed after he had bitten off his own leg, a rhino trampled by a mate. In a busy British zoo in four years, nearly 500 animals died under questionable circumstances.
South Lakes Safari Zoo opened its doors in 1994 in the village of Dalton-in-Furness. Meanwhile, there are on display more than 1,500 animals, including tigers, giraffes and rare birds.
In 2013, an investigation was launched into the zoo after nurse Sarah McClay (24) was mauled by a tiger while cleaning a cage.
The results of the study were published yesterday. The report shows that last year 486 deceased animals between December 2013 and September, many under questionable circumstances.
As two snow leopards half-eaten were found in their cage, yielded a set of squirrel monkeys to a blood poisoning, and proved to be a giraffe died from overweight.
Last summer, seven perfectly healthy lion cubs were killed because there was no place for them in the zoo. Already exceeded five baby baboon gave the same fate.
Inspectors name the conditions in the zoo ‘pitiful’. Next week will be decided whether the South Lakes Safari Zoo longer allowed to remain open or not.