Zoo vows to give bears necessities

Published on Tuesday 7 September 2010 16:26

EDINBURGH may be trying to bring Giant Pandas to the city, but a small zoo in West Lothian is negotiating its own bear coup.

The Five Sisters Zoo in West Calder is in discussions to rehome two brown bears which were rescued from a travelling circus in Germany.

Zoo owner Brian Curran has made a formal bid to secure their transfer from their current home in France, while an area of woodland in the zoo's grounds has already been identified as ideal for an enclosure.

Mr Curran said: "I am determined to bring the bears here and we'll be pulling out all the stops to make it happen.

"The fact that they have been rescued from a circus makes me all the more determined to get them to the Five Sisters where we can make sure they are treated well and live out their lives in a spacious and natural environment.

"They would be an amazing addition to the zoo and it would be brilliant for children to see these magnificent animals up close.

"However, there is a lot of work to be done and it will cost a lot of money to get there. The enclosure to house them is 80,000 alone. We would need a lot of financial help but it would certainly be worth it."

The zoo has recently been accepted as a provisional member of Biaza (British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums), and it was on the organisation's website that Mr Curran spotted the bears' plight.

Douglas Richardson, animal collection manager at Highland Wildlife Park near Aviemore and renowned bear expert, has agreed to be the zoo's mentor to help it fulfil its commitments and responsibilities to Biaza, which monitors animal welfare and conservation.

He said: "The (Five Sisters) zoo is more than capable of improving the life of the bears.

"The wooded area behind the zoo was perfect for an enclosure, but I have recommended that the zoo do not take in new animals at the moment as the layout is a bit haphazard.

"The bears could become a focus for the zoo, as to coin an American phrase, they are 'charismatic mega vertebrates' and are readily recognisable.

"The important thing is improving the life of bears who have been rescued from the likes of third-rate zoos which have been closed down."

Brown bears can weigh anything from 300 to almost 800kgs and live mostly in Russia and the USA, Canada, Romania and Finland.

The zoo welcomed a slightly smaller new addition last week following the birth of a baby meerkat, which made its first public appearance this week.

Events manager Margaret Copland said: "It was one of three that were born but sadly it was the only one to survive.

"We don't know yet whether it's a male or female, but I think it's a girl. She's still finding her feet and falls over from time to time and is dependent on her mother, but she's doing great."