Renewed call for loss-making Belfast Zoo to be shut down

A protest group called ‘Northern Ireland Says No To Animal Cruelty’ has teamed up with a Belfast councillor to campaign for the closure of the facility.

Belfast City Council, which owns the 55 acre zoo at Cave Hill, confirmed that it has been running at a deficit of £2m for the past three years.

But UUP Alderman Chris McGimpsey (who has made similar calls in the past) told the News Letter: “Even if it was making money, I would still be against the zoo staying open as I am against the concept.

“Zoos are relic from the past. They are an outdated concept, akin to a Victorian peep show.”

He said that Province’s climate means the zoo is far from an ideal home for some of its more exotic inhabitants.

“Animals who belong in the Serengeti Plain are stuck on a hillside overlooking Belfast, where they live in misery while people stare at them,” he said.

“We should be beyond this sort of thing in this day and age.”

The UUP man believes the zoo – which opened in 1934 and is home to more than 1,000 animals – should be transformed into a conservation area for native species.

He added: “There is no real conservation work being carried out Belfast Zoo.

“In the past five years, nine red squirrels have been released into the wild.

“I would like to see it become a place which focuses on preserving endangered native species, such as bats, Irish hares, and squirrels.”

A spokesperson for Belfast City Council said: “While the future of Belfast Zoo has been raised in council by individual members, no formal proposal of any kind has been presented or discussed, and therefore no decision on its future has been made.”

Ald McGimpsey indicated a report setting out possible options for the future of the facility could be brought before council as early as next month.