A Liverpool children’s attraction from which inspectors discovered an unknown number of meerkats had escaped has pulled out of a crunch meeting with councillors.
Two inspections to Croxteth Park Farm found a range of issues on the site meant the meerkats had escaped and were likely dead, according to a report to Liverpool Council’s licensing committee published last week.
The owners were supposed to attend a meeting with committee members this morning to persuade them to give the attraction a zoo licence.
Rules around the animals it used to have on site meant it did not previously need one but the owners are now applying to keep new species of conservation-sensitive owls.
The meeting, scheduled for 10am this morning, has been cancelled and a Liverpool Council spokeswoman confirmed the club had now pulled its application for a licence.
To see news in your area, enter your postcode below.
She said: “Croxteth Park Farm operator NSC has withdrawn its application for a zoo license which has resulted in the cancellation of the special meeting.
“The operator still has to apply for a license to keep and show animals and as part of this, inspections by an independent vet will be carried out.”
The report published last week had been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic but detailed two inspections in February and March last year.
The catalogue of concerns that were documented included inadequate measures to prevent the escape of animals, including the electric fence used to keep in the meerkats functioning at 1% of the required power
The February inspection report said: “For example, the heat lamp that was required to provide heat to the meerkats was smashed and, as such, the meerkats were not provided with a suitable source of heat.
“This had not been identified by the operator of the farm. Similarly, the birds of prey were not provided with cover while tethered and rabbits were not provided with shelter.”
It also said meerkats had escaped from the enclosure, with the March report finding there was at least one further escape between the two inspections.
The Croxteth Park attraction was previously council -run but was taken over by The Neighbourhood Services Company (NSC) in 2014, and has a range of common farm animals including cattle, sheep, pigs and goats.
Before NSC withdrew its application, council officers had recommended its recent application for a licence, spurred by Croxteth Park Farm’s acquisition of two species of conservation-sensitive owls, be refused.
Croxteth Park Farm has been approached for comment.
