Zoo improvement work nears completion

EDINBURGH Zoo has completed around 90 per cent of improvements that a critical report by the Scottish Government asked the attraction to make, bosses said today.

Documents last September pointed out that the big cat enclosure was in disrepair, the sea lion enclosure was out of date and a food store was infested with vermin.

Animal collections manager, Darren McGarry, said everything had now been sorted out apart from the sea lion pen and pool, which the zoo may close instead of refurbishing.

Mr McGarry said big cat enclosures had newly-painted walls and bars, plus replaced water heaters. He said the current vetinary hospital has newly-painted walls and new cabinets and fixing holes in the roof of the food storage building had solved the vermin problem.

Mr McGarry said: "Most of the problems were aesthetic and 90 per cent of them have been mended. If there was any damage or problem that affected the animals directly, we would fix it immediately. All of the keepers here are very passionate and dedicated to the animals, and it would be abhorrent to us if anything was wrong."

Edinburgh Zoo will have an annual inspection in September. Its next inspection by the Scottish Government is in 2012.