South Lakes Safari Zoo

South Lakes Safari Zoo (formerly South Lakes Wild Animal Park) is a zoo established in 1994 by David Gill, and located in Cumbria, England. Its name refers to its proximity to the Lake District, though it lies entirely within the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness on the outskirts of Dalton.

After an initial rapid growth, the zoo became one of Cumbria's most successful tourist attractions. However, under Gill's ownership the zoo had a number of controversies, emerging both from his personal life and his management of the zoo. Significant concerns over animal welfare and the death of an employee eventually led to Gill losing his license to operate the zoo in 2017, which has under a new management team seen a "marked improvement" in animal welfare.

Ownership

Since 2017 the zoo has been operated by Cumbria Zoo Company Ltd, of which Karen Brewer is the manager. Prior to this, it had been operated by its founder, David S. Gill. Gill retained ownership of the land on which the zoo sits until January 2021 when it was sold to the Zoo Investment Company. In 2018 his company was placed into administration following financial difficulties.

Founder

David Gill founded the zoo in 1994 on converted farmland. In 2001, Gill relocated to Australia, opening a second zoo in North Queensland; however, following its closure in 2005 with debts of more than £2 million, he returned to be based at the South Lakes Zoo.

In 2007, Gill stood for election for the local Borough of Barrow-in-Furness council representing the Conservative Party, but narrowly lost out. In 2008, he was stabbed in his home on the edge of the zoo by Richard Creary, a former professional rugby league footballer, who found him in bed with his wife. Creary admitted aggravated burglary and was jailed for five years. Gill later entered into a relationship with Frieda Rivera-Schreiber, who worked as a veterinary coordinator at the zoo after her 2014 marriage to Gill, despite being ineligible to operate on animals in the UK as she is not associated with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. An inspector's report noted that "The provision of veterinary care t the zoo... has historically been poor", and her position as veterinary coordinator came under question. Until 2015, Gill also operated a "dude ranch" in Wyoming, United States, which charged guests up to £1,627 per week to pretend to be cowboys. Following the legalisation of same-sex marriage, Gill garnered controversy when he described same-sex marriage as "sick" and commented that "the end is certainly nigh ... when nature is twisted and society accepts totally abnormal and behaviours in humans" on Facebook. Cumbria Police investigated the comments for alleged homophobia.
Gill told his life story, with co-author Paul Stenning in a 600 page memoir, titled Nine Lives and released in 2011.

History

1994–2000: Opening and expansion

The zoo was opened by David S Gill and his family in 1994 on converted farmland. Construction started in 1993, and the park was officially opened on 28 May 1994. The park gradually expanded over the next few years, growing from 55,000 visitors in 1995 to 220,000 visitors in 1999. Major attractions in early years included its then-unique in Britain holding of the world's smallest (Sumatran) and largest (Siberian) tiger subspecies. It created a successful breeding programme for the critically endangered Sumatran tiger. The zoo had its first major incident in 1997, when a three-ton white rhino escaped from its pen and was subsequently shot dead by owner David Gill in an adjacent field. Gill was later fined £10,000 for failing to keep the animal adequately enclosed.

2001–2012: Continued growth and disputes

In 2001, Lara Kitson, a pregnant employee of the zoo, won a case of sexual discrimination and constructive dismissal at a tribunal in Carlisle after she claimed that she was advised to terminate her pregnancy rather than fall short in her job. The park continued to grow, with a wider range of African animals, penguins and a cheetah coming to the park in the early 2000s. In 2004, the park's owner David Gill first suggested moving the park away from its site in Dalton to one closer to the M6 in south-eastern Cumbria. In 2006, a car-park was constructed to cope with the zoo's expansion, though without planning permission: after a long struggle with Barrow-in-Furness Borough Council, permission was eventually granted in 2007 following a complaint by Gill to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, who heavily criticised the Council. In 2006, the park itself was also criticised by inspectors following the escapes of lemurs and a coyote. In August 2007, Gill was stabbed in his home next to the zoo by Richard Creary, the estranged husband of his then-partner: Creary was later jailed for five years for stabbing Mr Gill in the neck.

2008 would be equally eventful for the park. The introduction of female rhinos led to the birth of white rhino Nyala at the park born on 1 June 2008, and Zimba, on 11 September 2008. In the same year, 31 of the park's 120 lemurs died in a fire. The fire destroyed three of the wooden huts in which they were enclosed. A spokesman for the fire service said it was believed the lemurs died as a result of smoke inhalation, and park owner David Gill said that the fire was probably caused by a faulty electrical heater. The lemurs were usually allowed to roam the park at night, but had been enclosed because of the cold weather. Gill was able to save 13, including the belted ruffed and Alaotran gentle species, but many of ring tailed, red ruffed, white-fronted, and black species died in the blaze. Gill said that for staff, who knew many of the lemurs by name, the loss was "devastating", and also that the deaths were "not just a massive blow for the park but for the European Breeding Programmes the animals were involved with." In the same year, Gill once again threatened to leave the zoo's Dalton site, following further conflict with the Council. Gill again stood unsuccessfully for election, losing by one vote.

In May 2009, the zoo announced an expansion plan that would increase the park size from to about . The expansion was required in order to introduce new species of animals, and create larger enclosures for the animals at the zoo. Added revenues helped the zoo increase its donations to its two conservation charities. Plans for the expansion were initially rejected by Barrow Borough Council's planning committee in 2010, largely due to concerns about traffic problems due to the proposed new entrance from the U6097, a minor road off the A590

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