Born Free Foundation - Keep Wildlife in the Wild

Leading wild animal welfare and conservation charity, the Born Free Foundation, along with colleagues in ENDCAP*, today announced that next year they will publish the EU Zoo Inquiry 2011; this will be the most extensive investigation into zoo regulation in the European Union to date.

Between March and December 2009, a total of 200 zoos in 20 EU countries were visited and assessed. Not one of the 20 countries investigated, met all their legal obligations under the EU Zoos Directive.

The full results from the investigation will be released in a series of 21 reports, each focused on a specific country.

To launch the first in the series, Danielle Lineker, television presenter, model and wife of footballing legend Gary Lineker, travelled to Bulgaria as a patron of Born Free, to highlight the plight of the many wild animals in European zoos. Danielle was accompanied by the Sunday Mirror newspaper and together they visited Plovdiv zoo and Stara Zagora zoo, in the southern part of the country.

Danielle described her experience: “I was deeply saddened and shocked to see wild animals kept in small cramped cages, often pacing uncontrollably. I was especially heartbroken to discover two small bear cubs in a filthy, barren concrete and steel pen, gazing up at me, almost pleading for help. I witnessed an elderly, solitary chimp, housed in a rusty cage, with no environmental enrichment - a tragic existence. Nor can I forget the two magnificent tigers housed in an antiquated enclosure, with no stand-off barrier which posed a genuine risk to public safety. This is unacceptable and times have to change. Born Free is appealing to all EU member States to implement the Zoo Directive and improve conditions fast, as this level of suffering should not be tolerated on the eve of 2011.”

Since 2007, all zoos in the 27 countries of the European Union (EU) have had to comply with the EU Zoos Directive, a law which requires zoos to conserve biodiversity and protect animals in their care. Among the legal requirements, all zoos are expected to provide the animals with suitable living conditions that meet their needs and ensure their wellbeing, or face closure. Born Free reveals that many zoos are not meeting these obligations or providing appropriate care for their animals. 

“Nothing could have prepared me for what I found in zoos across Europe.” said Daniel Turner, Born Free’s Senior Operations Officer (Zoo Check)  “From deprivation in Romania, Bulgaria and Lithuania, where animals were housed in little more than concrete cells; to more prosperous countries such as Austria, France and Germany, where there is no excuse for conditions that fail to meet even basic needs. There is a great deal we need to do, to improve the lives of millions of wild animals in Europe’s zoos. But rest assured, we will not rest until this is achieved. Please, help us.”

Results of the investigations so far demonstrate that most zoos in the majority of EU countries are below legal requirements and thousands of animals are being kept in conditions that fail to provide for their basic needs in restrictive, barren, concrete enclosures that contain minimal furniture, enrichment and comfort.

Daniel Turner explained. “Born Free is keen to work with national Governments to influence change and encourage higher standards of animal care and although what we have found through our research is deeply depressing there is hope since many EU government representatives have told me of their desire to work with Born Free to change the current situation.”

Working with the Government departments and the European Commission is the most constructive solution to this EU-wide problem although Born Free will also ensure that indifference and lethargy are exposed and acted upon. Ultimately, zoos that do not meet the national legal requirements need to close and the animals should be rehomed in more acceptable conditions.

Born Free is dedicated to improving the lives of animals in zoos throughout Europe, but relies on the support of compassionate individuals everywhere.