Latest news with #BelfastZoo
Belfast Telegraph
3 days ago
- Health
- Belfast Telegraph
Belfast Zoo remains closed for second day due to issues with water supply
Yesterday the zoo announced it would be closed on Sunday and Monday citing 'essential maintenance', but further details were confirmed in a social media post this morning. "Belfast Zoo will remain closed today (Monday 28 July) due to a maintenance issue with our water supply,' a spokesperson said. 'Our keeper team is on-site as usual, caring for all animals and ensuring they have everything they need.' Any customers who had booked tickets for these days have been advised to get in contact with the zoo to reschedule or request a refund. 'We apologise for any inconvenience caused,' the spokesperson added. It comes after the facility was shut for several days in June after a small amount of E-coli was detected in the water on site. Speaking at the time, a Belfast City Council spokesperson said E-coli was detected in a water sample taken during a routine inspection 'The Zoo has been closed to visitors today as a precautionary measure while we work with the NI Environment Agency and the council's own environmental health team to carry out additional sampling,' they said. Watch: Story of how Belfast Zoo's baby elephant was kept in backyard of house during Second World War Blitz 'The safety of our visitors and animals remains our top priority, and we hope to reopen the Zoo for visiting as soon as possible. The Zoo's dedicated team remain on site today and are continuing to care for the animals.'
Belfast Telegraph
4 days ago
- Health
- Belfast Telegraph
Belfast Zoo closed for ‘essential maintenance'
Belfast Zoo has announced it will be closed on Sunday and Monday for 'essential maintenance'. Posting on social media on Sunday afternoon, a spokesperson advised any customers who had booked a ticket for these days to get in contact to reschedule or request a refund. 'We're sorry for any inconvenience,' the spokesperson said. It comes after the facility was shut for several days in June after a small amount of E-coli was detected in the water on site. Speaking at the time, a Belfast City Council spokesperson said E-coli was detected in a water sample taken during a routine inspection 'The Zoo has been closed to visitors today as a precautionary measure while we work with the NI Environment Agency and the council's own environmental health team to carry out additional sampling,' they said. 'The safety of our visitors and animals remains our top priority, and we hope to reopen the Zoo for visiting as soon as possible. The Zoo's dedicated team remain on site today and are continuing to care for the animals.'
Sunday World
17-07-2025
- Sunday World
Volunteer locked in with lions at zoo still waiting on compo
Voluntary zoo worker's case yet to be resolved by Belfast City Council There had been speculation in recent days that the council had finally reached a settlement with the unpaid worker who was left face to face with a Barbary lion after being accidentally locked in the lions' cage. It has been almost a year since the incident and it is understood the negotiation for damages and compensation has been complicated with issues surrounding the zoo's insurance and the victim's aftercare in the wake of the traumatic incident. At the time the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) confirmed it was working with Belfast Zoo after incident. An immediate investigation was launched which centred on how such a glaring error could have happened, an error that put the victim's life at risk. At the time a spokesperson for BIAZA, which represents the best zoos and aquariums in the world, said it was aware of the incident, and was actively engaging with Belfast City Council. 'The zoo has informed BIAZA that Belfast City Council, which owns and operates the zoo, is undertaking an investigation,' they added. The professional body is a member of both the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria. It collaborates with its members to further conservation science, natural history, and environmental education and animal welfare around the world. According to a source familiar with details of the incident, the person involved was initially in the enclosure alongside a member of staff. 'The lions were originally kept in their den while (the individual) was in the enclosure with a more experienced staff member,' he said. They said that the experienced employee then left the paddock. The gate was locked and the animals were free to move around — meaning the person was 'locked in' with the lions with 'nowhere to go'. The lion enclosure Belfast Zoo is home to a pride of Barbary lions which includes one male lion named Qays and two females, Fidda and Theibba. The breed is one of the largest sub-species and is extinct in the wild. The last picture of a wild Barbary lion, favoured by the Romans in the amphitheatres of the empire, was taken in the mountains Morrocco in 1925. 'This big cat measures one metre in height at the shoulder and up to three and a half metres in length,' the zoo's website states. 'Average weight can be up to 230 kilograms.' Sources close to the Zoo told the Sunday World that a settlement was close but this week in response to a query from the Sunday World , the council confirmed the issue was 'unresolved'. Belfast City Council, which owns the facility, previously confirmed a probe was under way. 'Council is aware of an incident at the lion enclosure at Belfast Zoo earlier this month,' a spokesperson said. 'We take the safety of all our staff, visitors and animals very seriously, and an investigation is under way into the circumstances of this incident. 'We cannot comment further while this is ongoing.' Belfast Zoo participates in the Department for Communities' JobStart Scheme which is designed to allow unemployed 50 to 64-year-olds a chance to gain skills and experience in the workplace. It also runs a number of apprenticeship programmes — it is understood the person involved was participating in one of these initiatives.
BBC News
11-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Belfast Zoo closed for a second day after E.coli outbreak
Belfast Zoo is closed for a second day after was found in a water sample from the zoo closed on Tuesday as a "precautionary measure", operators Belfast City Council said, while the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and the council's environmental health team carry out more closure was then extended into council said the safety of visitors and animals "remains our top priority" and that it hopes to reopen "as soon as possible". The council also apologised for any disappointment caused for those with pre-booked tickets and advised them to contact the zoo for a zoo initially announced it was closed on Tuesday due to "an urgent maintenance issue", Belfast Live reported before it was later confirmed that had been City Council said further updates on reopening will be provided via the zoo's website and social media channels. E. coli are a diverse group of bacteria that normally live in human and animal types are harmless but others can make people seriously ill.
Belfast Telegraph
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Belfast Telegraph
Financial woes, animal welfare concerns and accessibility – what does the future hold for Belfast Zoo?
In the past it's been branded a 'Victorian peep show', with concerns raised about the welfare of animals and several high-profile escapes. Now, further questions about the financial burden Belfast Zoo is placing on the ratepayer have come to the fore.
