Elephant at Chester Zoo (Image: Jaber Ahmed, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Britain's zoos with elephants will have to create larger and more naturalistic enclosures for the animals by 2040 as part of the Government's overhaul of standards. Any outdated handling and management methods of the around 48 elephants across 11 UK zoos must stop being used by 2030.
Elephants in zoos can display abnormal behaviours because of inadequate environments, leading to physical and psychological distress. Zoos have struggled to replicate the complex social structures and large territories elephants naturally live in.
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Captive elephants can also suffer from foot problems, obesity and other health issues.
Aquarium touch pools that allow interaction with fish and crabs will also be banned as part of the first reforms in over a decade, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said.
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Zoos and aquariums will have 2 years to adapt to changes in the standards, it is understood.
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Animal Welfare Minister, Baroness Hayman said: "We are a nation of animal lovers, and our best zoos and aquariums are truly world leaders in setting the standard for how wild animals should be kept.
“Today’s long-overdue reforms lay the foundation for an even stronger, even more compassionate future for all zoos and aquariums —and the animals they protect. This is the first step as part of our commitment to deliver the most ambitious animal welfare reforms in a generation.”
She told the Express the Government is aiming to publish a new Animal Welfare Strategy late this year.
Meanwhile the standards announced on Saturday will be better training for staff to handle exotic animals and improved public safety measures will be required.
The practice of tethering birds of prey as a method of long term accommodation will be phased out, with a shift to large aviary enclosures.
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But conservation charity Born Free said it was "disappointed" the standard does not go far enough.
The group said that he fact the reforms were being "so emphatically welcomed" by the zoo industry "should be a cause for concern".
Will Travers, co-founder of Born Free, said: “We are deeply disappointed to see that elephants will continue to be legally kept in British zoos despite the inherent welfare challenges they face. While an incremental increase in enclosure sizes is a step in the right direction, it is impossible to meet the welfare needs of an elephant in a zoo environment, as demonstrated by an ever-growing mountain of scientific evidence.
"Additionally, zoos have been given 15 years to reach these new non-transformative standards, and we fear that this will mean more than a decade of unnecessary captive suffering and exploitation.
"It is indeed ironic that the launch of the standards has been held at a zoo which does not currently meet the new enclosure requirements for elephants."
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Dr Jo Judge, CEO of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) which represents over 130 zoos and aquariums, said: “The new standards are a significant step up in legal requirements and cement Britain’s position as a global leader for zoos and aquariums. BIAZA members already lead the way in animal care and conservation and we have been working closely with Defra officials to realise these updated standards.”
Jamie Christon, CEO at Chester Zoo, said: “We were delighted to welcome the Zoos Minister, Baroness Hayman, to Chester Zoo for the official launch of the updated Secretary of State’s standards of modern zoo practice.
“These new standards set a clear vision for the future of zoos in the UK and we’re pleased to have worked closely with Defra to help shape them and ensure that they represent world class animal care.”