Regulation 3 Licensing of zoosI1

Northern Ireland

(1)

Subject to the provisions of this regulation and regulation 4, it is unlawful to operate a zoo to which these Regulations apply except under the authority of a licence issued by the Department, which is the competent authority for the purposes of Council Directive 1999/22/EC^f1 relating to the keeping of wild animals in zoos.

(2)

In these Regulations “zoo” means a permanent establishment where animals of wild species are kept for exhibition to the public and includes an establishment to which regulation 21 applies.

(3)

Subject to paragraph (5) and regulation 4, these Regulations apply to any zoo to which members of the public have or will have access, with or without charge for admission, on seven days or more in any period of twelve consecutive months and any establishment to which regulation 21 applies.

(4)

These Regulations also apply to any zoo in respect of which there is in force a requirement in a direction under regulation 17(2)(d) that the zoo or a section of it is required to be closed to the public.

(5)

These Regulations shall not apply to a circus or a pet shop.

(6)

In relation to zoos in operation immediately before the commencement of these Regulations, this regulation and regulation 5 have effect subject to the provisions of regulation 25.

(7)

The following are conservation measures to be implemented by operators of zoos in accordance with these Regulations –

(a)

participating in at least one of the following:

(i)

research from which conservation benefits accrue to the species;

(ii)

training in relevant conservation skills;

(iii)

the exchange of information relating to species conservation;

(iv)

where appropriate, captive breeding;

(v)

where appropriate, repopulation or reintroduction of species into the wild;

(b)

promoting public education and awareness in relation to the conservation of biodiversity, particularly by providing information about the species exhibited and their natural habitats;

(c)

accommodating their animals under conditions which aim to satisfy the biological and conservation requirements of the individual species, inter alia, by providing species specific enrichment of the enclosures;

(d)

maintaining a high standard of animal husbandry with a developed programme of preventive and curative veterinary care and nutrition;

(e)

preventing the escape of animals in order to avoid possible ecological threats to indigenous species;

(f)

preventing the intrusion of outside pests and vermin; and

(g)

keeping up to date records of the zoo’s collection appropriate to the species recorded.

(8)

In this regulation –

“circus” means any place where animals are kept or introduced wholly or mainly for the purpose of performing tricks or manoeuvres at that place; and
“pet shop” means any premises, structure (whether moveable or not), vehicle, cart or barrow where two or more species of animals are kept primarily for the purpose of sale as pets.

Regulation 3 Licensing of zoosI1

Annotations

Commencement

Footnotes