AN APPEAL hearing into whether Borth Wild Animal Kingdom can continue to keep ‘dangerous animals’ has been listed for 27 April.

Owners Tracy and Dean Tweedy have appealed against a licence condition imposed by Ceredigion County Council that would ban the zoo from keeping Category A animals including big cats, crocodiles and alligators.

A court hearing at Aberystwyth’s Magistrates’ Court last week heard that the council had imposed 120 conditions on the zoo following an inspection by a veterinary expert.

That is the highest amount of conditions imposed on any zoo in England and Wales.

The owners have accepted all but one of those conditions, appealing against the condition restricting dangerous animals, and have been working to meet the other conditions.

Last year, one lynx was shot dead by a marksman called in by the council after escaping from the zoo and another lynx died in the premises after accidentally being strangled by a zoo employee.

A pre-trial review into the appeal hearing has been scheduled for 22 March, which will confirm whether the provisional appeal hearing date of 27 April will go ahead.