Animal deaths at Blair Drummond Safari Park should be investigated, claim wildlife charity chiefs.
Two lionesses, an antelope, a lemur and a monkey died at the Stirling tourist attraction between 2016 and 2020.
Whistleblowers contacted international charity Born Free, alleging the 'tragedies' call into question 'the safety of animals in UK zoos'.
Born Free is demanding the Scottish Government launch an independent probe into the fatalities amid the 'shocking revelations'.
According to a statement released by the charity two lionesses in 2016 had to be euthanised as a result of injuries inflicted by a male lion due to 'improper social grouping'.
A hand-reared nilgai antelope 'shouldn’t have been [housed] with other males', staff alleged.
The beast was left with internal organs protruding from an injury inflicted during an altercation with another male.
Meanwhile a lemur was killed after escaping into the tiger enclosure in 2018.
In 2020 visitors watched on in horror as a Barbary macaque, a breed of monkey, was mauled by lions in front after escaping its enclosure.
Veterinarian Dr Mark Jones, Head of Policy at Born Free, said, "Details of these shocking incidents call into serious question the ability of zoos in the UK to keep their animals safe.
"It seems the tragedies at Blair Drummond are indicative of systemic problems that have been ongoing for some years, but which the zoo inspection system has uncovered and failed to address.
"The fact the facility is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) doesn’t instil much confidence in BIAZA’s ability to ensure its own members are acting responsibly and transparently.
"We urge the Scottish Government to launch a fully independent, transparent and public investigation, and to share these findings with Westminster, and to develop requirements and inspection processes for zoos that will ensure these kinds of tragedies can never be repeated.”
Born Free also questioned inspections carried out at the park a couple of years ago.
The statement continued: "A local authority inspection in 2018 marked '‘Yes’ for ‘Are there satisfactory measures in place to prevent the escape of animals?’ and ‘Are animals of social species normally maintained in compatible social groups?’
"This highlights serious flaws in the current inspection process and raises the question of whether these issues would have ever come to light if it wasn’t for staff making their concerns known.
"Born Free encourages BIAZA (British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums) to further develop its current whistleblowing policy so that staff in the zoo industry feel confident in reporting such issues in future without fear of victimization, discrimination or disadvantage."
BIAZA launched an inquiry into the deaths but Born Free have sent an open letter to Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, demanding an independent probe.
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