The information outlined below has links to the relevant government web sites, such as DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, OPSI (Office of Public Sector Information) and others.
Our Useful Links page has links to these and other organisations.
• Licence, inspection and insurance is required for the keeping of listed non-domesticated species.
• S22 DWA species in a zoo are not subject to DWA unless taken out of zoo and not in the personal possession of the zoo operator.
• If animals are moved to another local authority area for more than 72 hours then both areas should be notified of the move.
Owners/or persons exhibiting must ensure that they have CITES Regulations Article 10 ‘use’ certificates for Annex A of CITES specimens used in filming or ‘educational performances’. For zoos this may or may not be covered by their ‘blanket’ display certificates.
The Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925 requires any person who exhibits or trains any performing (vertebrate) animal to be registered with a local authority.
The term “exhibit” is defined as “exhibit at any entertainment to which the public are admitted, whether on payment of money or otherwise…”and to “train” means “train for the purpose of any such exhibition”.
This provision, applies to circuses and also to other situations, such as cabarets and film making and plays, that involve animal performances and there is no exemption for excluding zoos. The definitions in the Act also appear to cover some of the training and performance with animals that takes place in zoos. However, it might be expected that training that was carried out to assist in the routine management of an animal (and not intended as preparation of a performance) would not involve registration.
A person who exhibits or trains a performing animal must be registered; eg circuses, cabarets, film making etc. Performing circuses are not subject to ZLA (S.1(2); static/winter quarters may be subject to ZLA (open to the public) or to DWA.