Dublin Zoo has been hit with allegations of animal welfare management failings after a Senator claimed a whistleblower revealed two monkeys and an endangered bird went missing.
The alleged whistleblower, who contacted Labour Senator Annie Hoey, has also claimed a gorilla, zebra and giraffe should have been put down sooner.
Speaking in the Seanad on Thursday, Senator Hoey used privilege in the Seanad to release details of an alleged protected disclosure by a former staff member outlining alleged animal abuse at the zoo.
Read More : Ireland’s ‘oldest dog’ Skippy dies peacefully at the age of 27
She said: “A number of months ago, I began a series of meetings with both former and current staff members in Dublin Zoo.
“I've been told by the whistleblower that there's been serious welfare issues near misses, safety and management concerns at Dublin Zoo.”
Dublin Zoo has said in a statement that it “vehemently disputes unfounded allegations of mistreatment of animals and objects in the strongest possible terms to the manner in which these allegations have been made without any engagement with Dublin Zoo.
“These allegations are wholly misleading and contain inaccurate clinical assessments.”
Senator Hoey told the Seanad that she has seen pictures and videos of a number of animals including a zebra, named Kildare, who died in December 2020.
She read the whistleblower’s words and told how the zebra was left “severely paralysed” following the extraction of a tooth but when there was no change in the animal’s recovery, the animal was to “be hung overnight in a harness.”
Ms Hoey told the Seanad: “She was kept alive even though staff requested the animal be euthanized.
“One staff member pleaded at the end of the second day to end the animal suffering.
“Management and veterinary team were planning to leave her hanging in the harness overnight, despite being severely paralysed.
“Staff were extremely distraught after witnessing the zebra's treatment, and they felt they could not raise concerns for fear of reprisals.”
Senator Hoey told the Seanad there is a “major breach of guidelines happening in the form of missing animals.”
She said the whistleblower and staff members told her that two crested macaques and one Citron crested cockatoo went missing or are presumed dead.
She also told the Seanad in February or March of this year, a white collared mangabey went missing and “despite staff raising the issue of them not being found management have not looked thoroughly for these animals or raised the public's awareness in the event, the member of the public were to encounter it.”
Ms Hoey also told the Seanad about a now deceased giraffe named Maeve.
She said the whistleblower told her how “staff had to watch her lay and slowly die while kicking out trying to gain her footing,” after the giraffe became unwell and died last month.
She said after the animal’s death, staff were called to a meeting and offered counselling “and then told to delete any videos of Maeve and how she died.”
The Labour Senator claimed zoo-keepers consistently raised concerns leading up to the death of Harry the silverback gorilla who died in 2016.
She told the Seanad: “This is one of the hardest stories for me to hear from many staff I spoke to as the pain and their voice over how Harry was treated in the run up to his death was unbearable.
“And I sanitised the details here as I don't think I could read all of them out. But I saw the photos of Harry at the end and he suffered greatly.”
Speaking to the Irish Mirror, Senator Hoey called for an external investigation to “assess what’s happening in Dublin Zoo.”
She also commended the alleged whistleblower for coming forward and said it was “incredibly brave.”
Senator Hoey said staff members have detailed the “mental strain they’ve been under,” to her.
A spokesman for Dublin Zoo said it is important to note that at no time did any member of staff come forward to Dublin Zoo regarding issues raised in the Seanad today.
He said: “Issues raised by members of staff regarding animal welfare at Dublin Zoo are treated with the utmost sensitivity and seriousness and are thoroughly investigated.
“Staff can make animal welfare related disclosures through their team, Dublin Zoo management or anonymously.
“Making serious accusations of poor animal welfare standards without engaging with the clinical veterinary expertise at Dublin Zoo or the independent bodies responsible for auditing animal welfare standards in Ireland is irresponsible and has led to a gross misrepresentation of facts.
“These are serious and upsetting allegations, for which we were not contacted to fact check. We would encourage the Senator to view the two most recent inspection reports from the Department of Housing, Local Heritage and Government.
“We would also like to take this opportunity to invite Senator Annie Hoey to Dublin Zoo to discuss the allegations and to learn more about the world class animal care standards in Dublin Zoo.
“Dublin Zoo was not given the opportunity to address the allegations made today before they were made public.
“They were never raised by any member of staff through the many channels available.
“These claims have unfairly undermined the incredible hard work and dedication of Dublin Zoo’s highly committed team of employees and volunteers who live and breathe Dublin Zoo’s purpose, mandate and animal welfare, on a daily basis.”
Dublin Zoo's full statement read: “Dublin Zoo vehemently disputes unfounded allegations of mistreatment of animals and objects in the strongest possible terms to the manner in which these allegations have been made without any engagement with Dublin Zoo. These allegations are wholly misleading and contain inaccurate clinical assessments.
"It is important to note that at no time did any member of staff come forward to Dublin Zoo regarding issues raised in the Seanad today.
"Issues raised by members of staff regarding animal welfare at Dublin Zoo are treated with the utmost sensitivity and seriousness and are thoroughly investigated. Any disclosures are investigated immediately and rectified where appropriate. Staff can make animal welfare-related disclosures through their team, Dublin Zoo management or anonymously.
"Making serious accusations of poor animal welfare standards without engaging with the clinical veterinary expertise at Dublin Zoo or the independent bodies responsible for auditing animal welfare standards in Ireland is irresponsible and has led to a gross misrepresentation of facts.
"Dublin Zoo is widely recognised as having a world-renowned standard of animal care. The physical and psychological well-being of animals in our care is the number one priority, and ensuring every animal lives out its life to the full is paramount to Dublin Zoo. Animal welfare is Dublin Zoo’s primary consideration, the foundation stone of all that we do. Only the highest standards of animal care are acceptable at Dublin Zoo and our hard-working and passionate colleagues are testament to this. We are routinely acknowledged and heralded both nationally and internationally for our independently audited first-class animal welfare care programmes," a statement continued.
"These are serious and upsetting allegations, for which we were not contacted to fact check. We would encourage the Senator to view the two most recent inspection reports from the Department of Housing, Local Heritage and Government. The report from May 2022, which focused on animal welfare standards, found Dublin Zoo to be 'a modern facility which, in our opinion, is well run and has the welfare of the animals it cares for at the heart of each decision made by the operators'.
"These reports are publicly available but we will be sending copies of these independent reports to the Senator to ensure the Senator has accurate information. We would also like to take this opportunity to invite Senator Annie Hoey to Dublin Zoo to discuss the allegations and to learn more about the world class animal care standards in Dublin Zoo.
"A recent report from October 2021 also found that previous unfounded whistle-blower allegations had been investigated thoroughly and Dublin Zoo provided evidence to support its assertion that such allegations were either 'unfounded or where historic, had been addressed and dated to a period prior to the current management regime'. Dublin Zoo was not given the opportunity to address the allegations made today before they were made public. They were never raised by any member of staff through the many channels available.
"These claims have unfairly undermined the incredible hard work and dedication of Dublin Zoo’s highly committed team of employees and volunteers who live and breathe Dublin Zoo’s purpose, mandate and animal welfare, on a daily basis," the statement concluded.
READ MORE:
Met Eireann's serious warning as record temperatures set to shock Ireland this weekend
Mr Flashy a no-show in court due to 'genuine fears' for safety
Vogue Williams looks set to stay in the UK as she enrols Theodore into school there
Former Love Island star Yewande Biala says time on the show was the 'best decision' of her life
Get breaking news to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter
