Suffolk: Africa Alive shut after Storm Eunice damage

The storm damaged the lion enclosure at Africa Alive in Kessingland, Suffolk

A zoo will remain closed after a tree fell and damaged the lion enclosure during Storm Eunice.

Africa Alive at Kessingland, Suffolk, said it planned to move the pride to another zoo and would not reopen until that was done for health and safety reasons.

Repairs are expected to cost thousands of pounds, the zoo said.

Customers with tickets this week will be able to visit Banham Zoo in Norfolk instead.

People with tickets will also be able to return to Africa Alive for a visit any time in the next six months.

Africa Alive said the lions and lionesses were safe

Claudia Roberts, chief executive of Zoological Society of East Anglia, which runs the zoo said: "The poor pride have been inside their internal dens all weekend so we're working very hard to resolve this.

"We have to relocate them as they live as a pride and [we] need to make sure the other zoo are able to take them as quickly as possible.

"We won't open until the lions are relocated as a matter of health and safety."

The closure comes as Suffolk schools are on a half-term break and the zoo had been looking forward to a busy week following closures over the last two years.

Ms Roberts added: "We live in a very uncertain world and never know what's coming around the corner, this won't kill us off but it will harm us. Half-term is a very important week for us financially but we will get through this."

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