Madam,

The unfolding and depressing disaster at Borth Zoo has resulting in much finger-pointing, at various individuals and institutions. Certainly there are some justifications for blame but the main culprit is the dysfunctional zoo licensing system.

Unless things have changed in the past few years, the process is farmed out by DEFRA to local authorities, in this case Ceredigion County Council.

Local authorities in poorer coastal communities can be reluctant to harshly punish failing zoos as these are seen important for local tourism and employment. It was noticeable that the marksman who shot the Lynx made reference to tourism.

Whilst the new owners at Borth seem to be well-intentioned it does increasingly seem that mistakes were made. In their defence the place had become a dumping ground for exotics.

Inspections, often carried out alarmingly infrequently, are usually by DEFRA-appointed experts, often veterinarians. It would be interesting to see the history of inspections at the Animalarium in recent years.

Ironically the emphasis in the licensing system is often on protecting the public from the inmates rather than animal welfare.

Either fund and train local authorities to carry out the job properly or create an overall UK group to do the work.

The closure of the Animalarium, as many are calling for, would almost certainly result in the deaths of animals for whom there is no home apart from a similar zoo somewhere else.

More buck-passing.

Yours etc,

D Woodbury, Talybont.

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