Dublin Zoo will be investigated after claims of animal welfare concerns were raised by a whistleblower to Labour Senator Annie Hoey.
A spokesman for the Department of Housing, which oversees Dublin Zoo, told Dublin Live that "a full investigation of the allegations will be undertaken by the Department’s zoo inspection and licensing unit."
The Zoo has "vehemently disputed" the claims and told Dublin Live that it "had called for an independent investigation into these allegations." It also said it "welcome the decision of the Zoos inspectorate, based in the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), to carry out an independent investigation of the allegations."
Read more: Dublin Zoo 'vehemently disputes' animal welfare concerns raised by whistleblower to Senator
Senator Annie Hoey told the Seanad earlier this month that she has had meetings with "both former and current staff members of Dublin Zoo" who made claims to her "a number of breaches of freedoms for animals" at the Zoo. The Senator said "the most detailed accounts" of such alleged breaches were recently made to her by a whistleblower via protected disclosure.
"Regarding animal welfare violations in Dublin Zoo I have been told by the whistleblower that there has been serious welfare issues, near misses, safety and management concerns at Dublin Zoo," Senator Hoey told the Seanad.
Senator Hoey got emotional as she began speaking about the case of the famous Harry the Gorilla.
"I want to tell you about Harry, the silverback gorilla, and I think we all know Harry because he was one of the most famous attractions in the zoo all throughout my childhood and into recent times," she read.
"Harry was a silverback male gorilla that died on May 29, 2016. Keepers consistently raised concerns leading up to his death and supported daily reports that his behaviour was abnormal.
"Keepers kept asking for a vet to examine him and eventually a vet was called and he died shortly after. This has had an adverse effect on the rest of the troop.
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"This was one of the hardest stories for me to hear from the many staff I have spoken to, as the pain in their voice about how Harry was treated in the run up to his death was unbearable.
"I saw the photos of Harry at the end and he suffered greatly."
Senator Hoey also said staff members claimed that several animals have "gone missing" at the zoo. She said what she raised is "only a snapshot of the stories" shared to her "about the failing in animal welfare at Dublin Zoo".
A spokesman for Dublin Zoo told Dublin Live that they "vehemently dispute" the allegations of mistreatment "in the strongest possible terms" and said the allegations are "wholly misleading and contain inaccurate clinical assessments". He added: "At no time did any member of staff come forward to Dublin Zoo regarding issues raised in the Seanad last week."
The spokesman said that the Zoo has appointed an independent animal welfare consultant who will "review our policies and standards of animal care and welfare in relation to these allegations".
"Dublin Zoo believes that these investigations will show that Dublin Zoo has always conformed to the highest standards of animal care and follows international best practice," he said.
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The Zoo also appealed that information gathered from recent public disclosures "regarding alleged animal mistreatment be referred to the NPWS as the relevant authority to investigate the claims."
The spokesman said: "Any potential animal welfare issues should be verified and addressed immediately as a matter of priority. Dublin Zoo is yet to receive any formal communication regarding these allegations.
"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."
He said that the Zoo is widely recognised as having a "world-renowned standard of animal care" and the physical and psychological wellbeing of animals is their "number one priority.
The spokesman called the allegations "serious and upsetting" and said they "were not contacted to fact check". He also cited the most recent inspection by the Department of Housing, Local Heritage and Government in May 2022, which found the 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”.
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He continued: "Another 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."
The Dublin Zoo spokesman said they were "not given the opportunity to address the allegations made last week before they were made public" and that they "were never raised by any member of staff through the many channels available".
"These allegations are deeply upsetting and 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," he said.
"Dublin Zoo is yet to receive any formal communication regarding these allegations - having received all notification through media and indirectly through the protected disclosure made by Senator Hoey.
"In the interest of animal welfare, we are also appealing that the information garnered from recent public disclosures regarding alleged animal mistreatment be referred to the NPWS as the relevant authority to investigate the claims. Any potential animal welfare issues should be verified and addressed immediately as a matter of priority."
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