Borth Animal Kingdom closes 'with immediate effect' to rehome big cats

Borth Wild Animal Kingdom is closing to rehouse its big cats because of licence problems.

Ceredigion council said this year the zoo must have one member of a firearms team on duty every day in case of an escape.

In January it was told to shut enclosures housing its most dangerous creatures.

On Monday it appeared at Aberystwyth Magistrates' Court about the matter.

Ceredigion Council said the zoo offered to surrender the part of its licence that lets it keep category one carnivores - like lions.

"In response to this proposal Ceredigion County Council agreed to an alteration to the licence to close only this section of the zoo, namely the enclosures holding lions, lynx and serval animals," a spokesman for the authority said.

"The closure of this section of the zoo means that no category one animals may now be held in the collection."

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Borth Wild Animal Kingdom said it would now shut while it tried to rehouse the animals.

It will then reopen without them.

Lilleth the Eurasian lynx evaded traps put out to catch her after her escape in 2017

Co-owner Dean Tweedy said he hoped they would be able win their licence back and bring the cats back.

"We want to prove we are a modern, professional outfit," Mr Tweedy said.

He was disappointed to be saying goodbye to lions Zulu and Wilma; lynx Daenerys, Tyrion and Nymeria and a serval named Indu.

"I'm hoping they will come back to a place that is even better," Mr Tweedy said.

"You can always make things better when it comes to animal husbandry."

A number of animals have escaped from the zoo.

In 2017 Lilleth the Lynx was shot dead by a marksman after being found in a caravan site.

In March three African Antelope broke out. These were returned safely.

Dean and Tracy Tweedy bought the zoo for £625,000 in 2016

A statement on the closure was posted on the zoo's website.

"We have had a bit of trouble meeting our firearms requirement this year," it said.

"This has been somewhat caused by a change of personnel in January 2020, then new staff could not complete their training as firing ranges closed down, along with most of the rest of the world for much of the rest of 2020."

This was because of coronavirus.

"This put us in breach of one of the conditions put on us by the council, and they served a closure notice on us, which we contested in court," the zoo said.

Where the animals will go remains unclear.

"I'm confident we can find a place," the statement said.

The zoo is now required to submit a rehoming and future care plan to the council within 21 days.