The UK government is introducing new standards to improve animal welfare in British zoos and aquariums, including a requirement for larger habitats for elephants.
The new Standards of Modern Zoo Practice for Great Britain was published on Saturday (24 May) and will modernise UK zoo practices for the first time in more than a decade.
Animal welfare minister Baroness Hayman said in a statement: “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.”
She added, “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.”
Requirements for UK zoos include larger habitats for elephants, better training for staff to handle exotic animals, and improved public safety measures.
Additionally, the practice of tethering birds of prey as a method of long-term accommodation will be phased out, with large aviary enclosures introduced instead.
Larger habitats for elephants in zoos
Aquariums will no longer be allowed to let visitors touch fish and cephalopods like the octopus, a highly intelligent animal, as handling can cause them stress.
Jamie Christon, Chester Zoo‘s CEO, welcomed the reforms.
He said: “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 (Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs) to help shape them and ensure that they represent world class animal care.”
Under the changes, zoos must also improve their conservation efforts and will now be required to develop clear business plans to protect animals in the event of financial difficulties.
Zoos and aquariums have two years to adapt to the changes.
Cam Whitnall, managing director of the Big Cat Sanctuary and star of CBBC’s One Zoo Three, said: “For too long, zoos have been misunderstood as places of entertainment, but these new standards make it unmistakably clear: modern, good zoos put wildlife first.
“They are hubs for conservation, education, and world-leading animal care.”
Kathryn England, chief operating officer for the Zoological Society of London, said the new standards “will help bring the whole sector up to a level the public rightly expects – and that animals everywhere deserve”.
Images courtesy of Chester Zoo
