this is absolutely shocking

ARTICLE LINK IS AT BOTTOM IT DOES CONTAIN IMAGES

ANIMALS shot dead by keepers in culls at a top safari park were dumped to rot beside bins.
The scenes were so gruesome the zoo's official photographer reported bosses to a council.

Cops were alerted after snapper Penny Boyd, 58, revealed how keepers untrained in shooting animals were also handed guns to practise on LIVE exhibits.

Horrified Penny - who compiled a chilling dossier of the carnage at Knowsley Safari Park on Merseyside - described the cack-handed shootings as "the last straw".

She raged last night after quitting her job: "One morning I heard a gunshot and looked out to see a beautiful antelope I'd known for years being downed.

"Another TWO shots were needed before it was dead. That kind of job should only be done by experienced people.

"But culling was being used as a means of training instead of being carried out in the kindest and most humane way."


Logo ... zoo is a 550-acre attraction on Merseyside
Penny - who lived at the park for ten years - said: "It was despicable. I couldn't carry on producing cute pictures to get Knowsley positive publicity knowing some of the animals might be culled and dumped to rot the next day."

The culling aimed to slash numbers after there became too many animals for the land to support.

Photos Penny handed to Knowsley council - responsible for licensing the park owned by the Earl of Derby - showed grisly scenes hidden from animal lovers.

Visitors to the 550-acre attraction, which trumpets its "emphasis on animal welfare", include school parties. The park prides itself on its herds of rare deer, which include the critically endangered Pere David's variety.

She said: "Culling is part of life on a safari park. If the land can only support so many animals you've no choice but to get rid of the surplus.

"Carcasses should be collected within hours and taken to be destroyed. I saw animals lying for up to ten days. You could see maggots. The smell was horrendous.

"To leave bodies like that is appalling, never mind the health risk. I found it soul-destroying." Penny, of Hawick, Scotland, claimed standards at the park nosedived after her partner - who worked as curator - lost his job last year.

She said: "The atmosphere became uncaring. Businesses need profit to remain open - but I believe zoos and wildlife parks must put animal welfare first.

"I protested about leaving dead animals lying around. Sadly no one seemed to think there was anything wrong."

The council disagreed after seeing Penny's evidence and launching an investigation with Government vets. The park was found to be in breach of strict regulations over animal "by-products" - and was forced to build an enclosed store for carcasses awaiting disposal.

Police were also called in to "advise" the park on the use of firearms.

The Merseyside force said that while it found no offences had been committed "procedural recommendations were made in respect of issuing weapons to keepers".

Edward Parry, the park's director of operations, said: "We were unaware of the animal by-product regulations about keeping dead animals in a covered enclosure. We held our hands up, admitted we were in the wrong and had a suitable pen erected.

"When Merseyside Police visited regarding firearms they recommended a gun diary, recording each time a weapon is touched. Again we were happy to do so."

Knowsley Council said it was "satisfied the standards of animal welfare and good practice met the requirements of the Zoo Licence".

A spokesman added: "Where any breaches were identified, appropriate action has been taken."

Merseyside zoo killed animals and left them to rot by bins | The Sun |News

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That is shocking, absolutely NO need for it!

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Photography

That's seriously shocking...surely moving surplus animals to less-stocked collections would have been the first option to look into? When does it even cross the mind of someone working at a park that's been open for decades, that they suddenly need to have target practice on live animals? Surely there's protocol to follow in such a situation, the higher ups have a lot to answer for

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That's just sickening how can they be allowed to stay open? Surely if the deer are so rare they could have transferred them to other zoos rather than letting idiots shoot them as target practice

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the majority of zoo's kill their animals when theyre no longer of use or when they have a surplus that cant be shipped of to other zoos!....disgusting!

Highland wildlife park in Scotland killed a whole pack of wolves to make room for a new 'exhibit'

Dartmoor wildlife park shot dead a female wolf and 2 cubs because the pack was fighting

Zoo exposed by CAPS is to close

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Bloody hell! How grim! I don't live far from there, always wonder what's going on behind all the foliage, now I know. Sickening...

That's just too horrible for words!
Surely with a bit of thought they could have just transfered the animals to other places. I thought the whole point of having zoos and safari parks was animal conservation. It seems knowsley would rather use them for target practice. Unbelieveable!!!!

The darker side of animal parks

Let us hope people vote with their feet and avoid this place and also question what may go on at other places

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Thats terrible - to be honest I had never thought about what happened to excess animals just assumed they went to other parks etc It does make me think as I love animals and always go to zoos/wildlife parks etc when I am on holiday (always wanted to go to Knowsley) I am not going to be going now though although since I have the dog I do not really go when on holiday anyway.

I was aware of the Wolves at the Highland Wildlife Park as have been there before - that was terrible as well they now have European wolves (had timbers) in a lot smaller enclosure and I was also aware of the monkeys that got killed when introducing two dominate males there - I have not been back there since and it has changed so much from what it originally was for - to show wildlife that have been/are british that it is such a shame.