Wildlife park on Black Isle has licence revoked over safety concerns
Highland Council has suspended the public entertainment licence for the country park, previously a wildlife park, in North Kessock, just after a year after removing its zoo licence, allowing the park to house exotic animals including zebras, meerkats and wallabies
The zoo licence for Black Isle Country Park, now re-named Noah’s Ark Animal Park, was removed in June last year following complaints about animal neglect but just five months later the council agreed to grant a public entertainment licence, allowing domestic animals such as goats donkeys and deer.
Complaints about animal neglect from shocked visitors and volunteers to the park continued to pour in and 125,000 people signed a petition calling for the park’s closure but in August the local authority’s environmental health officers insisted there were no “serious” animal neglect or welfare issues.
Welfare campaigners the Animal Concern Advice Line (ACAL) have been campaigning for the site to be closed since 2014.
This week councillors agreed to suspend the licence, which was valid until January 2020, due to public safety concerns.
But the meeting of the licensing committee was heard in private and a council spokeswoman refused to explain why, or give more details of what safety risks the park posed.
The statement read: “The suspension was made on the grounds of public safety pending the submission of satisfactory management arrangements.
“The existing licence would have expired on January 3, 2020.”
But it also hinted that the park could be awarded a new licence, if changes are made.
It added: “The suspension will last for the remaining duration of the licence unless management arrangements are put in place to satisfy the council’s environmental health service that there is no likely risk to public safety.”
