November 2013: The British zoo licensing and inspection system is failing to guarantee essential animal welfare standards in zoos says new report.
A study carried out by researchers from the University of Bristol and the Born Free Foundation has found that only 22 out of 136 zoos were assessed as meeting all the animal welfare standards at consecutive inspections and one or more of the same criteria remained substandard at consecutive inspections in more than one-third of zoos (35%).
The report also found Zoos that were members of a professional association (BIAZA, the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums) did not significantly out-perform non-members but were more likely to be assessed as remaining compliant between inspections. The type of zoo also had a significant effect on animal welfare performance, with bird parks and farm parks performing least well.
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