AGENDA EMNQ.-,, 1 -. NORTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL REPORT To: COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE Subject: PALACERIGG COUNTRY PARK ANIMAL COLLECTION. RATIONALISATION OF SPECIES From: DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY MA1 NTAl NED SERVICES Date: 5‘h Dec 2005 Ref: BD/JT/CB 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 The purpose of this report is to bring member’s attention to the need to rationalise the Palacerigg Country Park Animal Collection to conform fully with recent EC Directives, to achieve a more efficient and productive use of resources and to provide a more focussed and sustainable contribution to wildlife and animal conservation. 2. BACKGROUND 2.1 Today, Palacerigg Animal Collection is composed principally of Scottish Rare Breeds farm livestock and several species of deer, together with a small number of carnivores and various species originally acquired during the 1980’s, when emphasis was placed on more exotic “Safari Park’ type animals. 2.2 The maintenance of the carnivores, birds of prey and the reindeer at Palacerigg requires the animal collection to be regularly inspected. It requires the implementation of a number of increasingly unsustainable working practices, and in recent years, European Council Directives have placed increasing restrictions and more onerous requirements on Zoos - e.g. to fund and undertake complex and detailed scientific research and wildlife conservation and education programmes and to breed the exotic species kept for re- introduction into the wild. 2.3 During this year’s Zoo Licence Inspection, the Inspector’s view was that these requirements were not realistically achievable at Palacerigg as the park was neither staffed nor financed at a level required to operate within the new Directives as an exotic animal zoo. For a number of years, many local authorities have been moving away from the maintenance and operation of such facilities. They have properly become the province of large, highly specialised and skilled charitable organisations, working to international wildlife conservation agendas. 2.4 It was strongly recommended that rationalisation be carried out at Palacerigg - to focus on the Park’s existing Rare Breed collection as a means to interpret and demonstrate the issues of wildlife conservation, rather than on the “Zoo” animals - and thereby to move out of the scope of the Zoo Licencing Act altogether. 2.5 Palacerigg is already a member of The Rare Breeds Survival Trust and maintains stock registered with the following Rare Breeds Societies: - I:\COMMITTEE\COMSERV\CULTURAL & RECREATIONAL SERVICES\I 8 JANUARY 2006\PCP ANIMAL COLLECTION 23.1 1.05.DOC The Eriskay Pony Society The North Ronaldsay Sheep Fellowship The Soay and Boreray Sheep Society The White Park Cattle Society The Shetland Cattle Breeders Association The Scots Grey Poultry Club The British Pig Association 3 PROPOSALS 3.1 It is proposed that in future, the park collection concentrates resources principally on the development and maintenance of the Rare Breeds Livestock Collection. 3.2 The species subject to the Licensing requirements such as owls, reindeer, silver fox, wildcats and pine marten will be gradually phased out by relocating existing stocks to more appropriate institutions. For the most part, these are also quite reclusive species that are difficult subjects for conservation interpretation purposes. 3.3. Benefits resulting from this course of action include: - Simplified and sustainable animal husbandry practices with all stock kept being appropriate to the Scottish climate and local ground conditions Positive and measurable contribution to the conservation of Rare Breeds by the breeding of registered livestock and a clearly defined and achievable theme for the collection . Eligibility for Palacerigg Country Park to apply for national accreditation as a “Rare Breeds Survival Trust Approved Conservation Centre” . It is not an unrealistic aspiration for Palacerigg to be the major Rare Breeds conservation location in Scotland within two years 4 RECOMMENDATIONS 4.1 Committee are asked to agree to the implementation of the above proposal. I:\COMMlTTEE\COMSERV\CULTURAL & RECREATIONAL SERVICES\I 8 JANUARY 2006\PCP ANIMAL COLLECTION 23.1 1.05.DOC .