Inside 'UK's worst zoo' where keeper was mauled to death and animals disappeared
Warning: This article contains images of animal injuries which some readers may find distressing.
An investigation has exposed some of the shocking conditions into a now-closed zoo, which was regularly dubbed as the UK's worst.
Although some zoos have their benefits, in that they can help endangered species and give medical attention to animals that might not survive in the wild, they already come with plenty of controversies.
As much as we might love to see cute penguins or ferocious lions, there are many who would argue that these animals belong in the wild rather than in cages, so any zoo that doesn't provide the best care possible is always going to come under a lot of scrutiny.
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For instance, Bristol Zoo were forced to explain themselves earlier this year after footage claimed that gorillas had been 'abandoned' at their old site, while a man was left shocked when he made a shocking discovery at the now-defunct Phuket Zoo in Thailand.
However, it's perhaps the South Lakes Safari Zoo in Cumbria which takes the title as the worst in the UK, after it was subject to a huge amount of controversy during its opening years between between 1994 and 2024.
In 2013, when avoidable animal deaths were already plaguing the facility, the zoo made headline news when a tiger walked out of its enclosure before mauling 24-year-old keeper Sarah McClay to death.
It was hoped that things would improve when former owner David Gill was denied a licence following hundreds of animal deaths in 2017, with Cumbria Zoo Company Limited (CZCL) taking over administration of the zoo and renaming it as Cumbria Safari Zoo.
However, a BBC investigation revealed that conditions in the facility were still below par, with a number of employees testifying that animals living there 'suffered greatly' and that a number of their deaths could have easily been avoidable.
As many as 486 animals had died there within a three year period, which was just one of many reasons why it was consistently considered the worst in the UK.
Animal protection charity Freedom for Animals also accused the zoo of failing to meet basic welfare standards after undercover activists captured some concerning moments on camera.
One saw a zookeeper discussing the death of a kangaroo through 'lumpy jaw', a high mortality disease caused by bad hygiene, overcrowding, stress and a poor diet.
They later urged Westmorland and Furness Council to take 'immediate and decisive' action, including relocating all captive animals to accredited sanctuaries.
Chief executive Karen Brewer had said: "Our priority at all times is the high quality of care for all of our animals," while also wholly denying and disputing the claims made by the charity.
Eventually, the zoo was closed at the end of 2024, but a spokesperson from the council confirmed that they had not directed them to do so.
Last year, plans for a new wild animal reserve further north in Cumbria were also turned down, the BBC reported, with the six directors from the New Roots Holding Company (NRHC) all previously holding positions as directors at CZCL during its ownership of the South Lakes Safari Zoo.
The zoo claimed in a social media post just weeks ago that the process of rehoming the animals had begun, with several being moved to locations such as Oxfordshire, Somerset, Scotland and France.
If you see an animal in distress and/or in need of help, contact the RSPCA's national animal cruelty line on 0300 1234 999 from 8am to 5pm seven days a week, or visit their website for further advice.
James Moorhouse