Curraghs Wildlife Park

Summary

The request sought annual wallaby population data and details of animal escapes at Curraghs Wildlife Park from 2011 to 2022, along with the park's escape prevention plan. The authority provided a partial inventory report for wallabies and the full Animal Escape Policy document, but the outcome was recorded as 'part exempt' regarding the escape history data.

Key Facts

• The request covered the period from 2011 to 2022 for wallaby numbers and escape incidents.
• A Species360 inventory report was provided covering Red-necked wallabies from January 1, 2019, to March 29, 2022.
• The park's Animal Escape Policy and Procedure was released, last reviewed on January 13, 2022.
• The policy cites the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and BIAZA guidelines as the legal framework for containment.
• The response outcome indicates that some information regarding animal escapes was withheld under exemption.

Data Disclosed

• 2011
• 2022
• 0.3.1
• 0.0.0
• 0.1.0
• 0.2.0
• Jan 01, 2019
• Mar 29, 2022
• 13/01/2021
• 13/01/2022
• 1974
• 2003

Original Request

For each year from 2011 to 2022, please provide the number of wallabies present at the Curraghs Wildlife Park. For each year from 2011 to 2022, please provide details for any & all animal escapes from the Curraghs Wildlife Park, including species, dates and outcome. Please include details of animals which have escaped their enclosure but not the park itself, along with any which have escaped the park's boundaries. Please also provide a copy of the Curraghs Wildlife Park animal escape prevention plan, risk assessment or closest equivalent.

Data Tables (2)

Full Response Text

Taxonomic Common Name Beginning Births Acquisitions Deaths Dispositions Ending Macropus rufogriseus Red-necked wallaby 0.3.1 0.0.0 0.1.0 0.2.0 0.0.0 0.2.1 TOTAL 0.3.1 0.0.0 0.1.0 0.2.0 0.0.0 0.2.1 * = Group Inventory Counts Included In Row ** = Colony counts included in Row [BALLAUGH] Curraghs Wildlife Park Included Institutions + = Both Group and Colony counts included in Row Report Type: Physical Macropus rufogriseus/Red-necked wallaby Summary Inventory Report For Copyright, Species360, 2022. All rights reserved. Jan 01, 2019 Mar 29, 2022 Report Start Date Report End Date Printed: Mar 29, 2022 09:39 Species360 ZIMS version 2.25.5 Page: 1 of 1 Curraghs Wildlife Park numbers are set out as per standard zoological way of display male (0).female(0).unknown sex(0)

Animal Escape Policy and Procedure Log

Contents 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 2 1.1. Legislation and Guidelines ...................................................................................................... 2 1.2. Responsibility .......................................................................................................................... 3 2. Escape Prevention ........................................................................................................................... 3 3. Animal Escape Procedure ............................................................................................................... 6 4. Appendices ...................................................................................................................................... 8 4.1. Appendix 1 – Categorisation of Our Animals .......................................................................... 8 4.2. Appendix 2 - Emergency knock out doses .............................................................................. 9

Version Description Date Completed Review Date Created By 1.1 New procedure note 13/01/2021 13/01/2022

1. Introduction

Curraghs Wildlife Park has a duty to comply with the relevant Health and Safety legislation and guidance associated with animal escape, comprising of procedures to prevent animal escape and to react sufficiently in the event of an animal escape. It is our duty to protect all employees and non- employees such as members of the public, contractors, volunteers and others who may be at risk due to an animal escape. All staff should ensure that they are familiar with this Animal Escape Policy. 1.1. Legislation and Guidelines

The park has a duty first and foremost to adhere to Health and Safety legislation so as to: 1. minimise the risk and seriousness of an animal escape 2. ascertain requirements for animal escape prevention 1.1.1. Legislation

The two main pieces of legislation to health and safety at work are:
The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974

Section 2.1 of the HSWA requires employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of employees whilst at work. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 2003

Section 3.1 and 3.2 state that every employer shall make a suitable and sufficient assessment of — (a) the risks to the health and safety of his employees to which they are exposed whilst they are at work; and (b) the risks to the health and safety of persons not in his employment arising out of or in connection with the conduct by him of his undertaking
1.1.2. Guidance

The main guidance documents for health and safety regarding the running of zoo are: BIAZA Health and Safety Guidelines & HSE Managing Health and Safety in Zoos

These two documents contain important guidelines on containment of animals and escape prevention, of which it is our duty as a member of BIAZA and as a zoo operator to follow.

1.2. Responsibility

First and foremost, it is our duty to contain our animals, and every effort should be made to prevent the need to carry out an escape procedure. However, should an animal escape, the Animal Escape procedure outlined in this document must be followed.

This responsibility is detailed in the following BIAZA Health and Safety Guidelines:

1. Animals kept at zoos must be effectively contained to protect staff, visitors and people outside the zoo. Even low risk animals can create unrest and risk should they escape their containment.

2. Containment should be layered to provide more than one level of protection. The outside perimeter boundary enclosing the entire zoo will form the outer layer, with inner layers consisting as necessary of:  enclosures;  aviaries;  fenced, walled, moated or ditched paddocks (enclosures);  tanks;  vivaria;  pools

3. The zoo should develop a scalable plan for dealing with animal escapes. The planning should consider the following:
    command and control chains and responsibilities;
    how alarms are given and by whom;
    how the necessary people (including firearms-trained staff) are alerted and briefed;
    how the public are to be managed and informed;
    liaison with the emergency services and how and by whom they will be called;
    animal recovery.

4. Escape Prevention

5. The perimeter boundary of the zoo, including all entry and exit points, should be appropriately designed, constructed and managed to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, both the escape of animals and the entry of unauthorised people. Appropriate warning signage should be placed at regular intervals around the boundary.

Curraghs Wildlife Park has a perimeter fence that surrounds the land of the Wildlife Park. This perimeter fence acts as a secondary barrier to stop an animal escaping out of the confines of the Park land, and is constructed as is reasonably practical for a Park which is surrounded by wetlands. This barrier is not universally strong and secure enough to prevent escape of all animals. This is why our animals are kept in enclosures which are designed, constructed and maintained as per guideline 192 (below). The only animals whose enclosure fencing is in fact the perimeter fence – therefore combining the primary and secondary barriers to escape – are those animals in which we judge to not be a threat to escape.

192 Enclosures must be designed, constructed and maintained to prevent animals escaping and to allow for people to conduct necessary work in them safely. The enclosure is the primary risk control measure and the levels and types of protection required will depend upon the species and the hazard the animal could present.

All enclosures are designed, constructed and maintained so as to prevent an animal escape.

Following an analysis and risk assessment completed at the start of 2020, areas of improvement into escape prevention were identified on some enclosures. Since then, action is ongoing to ensure that every enclosure containing non-free roaming animals has a keeper porch. Free-roaming animals have double gated walkthroughs at each entrance/exit point to the area of park they are situated.

In order to maintain the security of enclosures, Curraghs Wildlife Park has the following responsibilities:

 Monitoring enclosure security. Keepers should actively monitor enclosures on a daily basis during husbandry duties and report any enclosure faults and enclosure wear and tear: o If solution is within keeper capabilities, keeper should inform Team leader and action taken within the team. o If solution is above keeper remit, inform Team leader and Visitor & Facilities Manager (VFM) who will identify if solution lies with: 1. Groundsmen 2. DoI Helpdesk – Visitor & Facilities Manager to email helpdesk and raise as urgent if necessary. 3. Contractor – e.g. felling of tree, extensive enclosure maintenance

If it is a job for DoI Helpdesk that needs sorting urgently and above managers are not present, any Duty Manager on site should be contacted to raise urgent job through Helpdesk.

 Monitor perimeter fence regularly where it acts as primary fencing to an enclosure. The animal enclosures which fall under this category are: o Mara, Guanaco, Rhea o Male Tapir o Emu
o Wallaby

 External Tree Survey. An external tree survey should be carried out at intervals recommended by the contractor

 Monitoring smaller trees/branches. Keepers, groundsman and Managers should actively monitor smaller trees in and around enclosures and any concern for falling branches/trees should be reported to the Visitor & Facilities manager who will arrange a contractor to visit site (if groundsmen cannot do job themselves)

 Working in Enclosures. Where animals are shut out of part of their enclosure in order to carry out work, machinery and/or tools must be removed from the enclosure before readmitting the animal to area where work was carried out. This prevents the tools and machinery being used as means for escape or as a weapon.

 Written Assessment. A written assessment of the security of each animal enclosure should be carried out at least once a year between Visitor & Facilities Manager and the Team leader.

 Carry Out Four Practice Animal Escapes Per Year. The Park will carry out four practice escapes each year with varying hypothetical circumstances, including at least one practice whereby and Animal Escape is combined with a First Aid Emergency or Fire Emergency.

 Investment. Over time, certain enclosures will become obsolete and require substantial investment in order to maintain enclosure suitability/security. These enclosures must be recognised and future investment plans organised to ensure resources are available to carry out works.

[1]. See Appendix 1 for category 1 animals.

[2]. Where Category 2 or below animals escape, the public should be kept away from the general area. The area of evacuation should be instructed by person in charge based on personal judgement of the specific situation e.g. location of animal, behaviour of animal, nature of incident.

[3]. ‘Treating A Casualty’ Procedure outlined in First Aid Policy and Procedure document.

[4]. Where Category 1 animals escape, instructing the Evacuation Procedure should be considered by the person in charge based on a personal judgement of the specific situation e.g. location of animal, behaviour of animal, nature of incident.

[5]. There is unlikely to be sufficient numbers to carry out the full procedure to the book when the need to carry out the Animal Escape Procedure, Evacuation Procedure and/or Treat A Casualty Procedure occur simultaneously. In this circumstance, person in charge to instruct staff based on personal judgement, but always prioritising threat to life.

[6]. on behalf of The Wildlife Park is authorised to possess a Part 1 Firearms Certificate two air rifles, a Dan Inject JM.SP dart rifle and a Daystate Air Ranger MKII together with a blowpipe. A further employee of the Wildlife Park, Mr. Tony TONGUE, is also authorised to possess and use the ‘Dart Guns’. The dart guns have a maximum range of 40 metres.

The Dart Guns are secured in a certified gun cabinet at the Wildlife Park. The dart guns and blow pipe to which this certificate relates may only be used by the certificate holder and

in connection with their employment for the welfare and treatment of animals at the Curraghs Wildlife Park unless otherwise directed by members of the Isle of Man Constabulary. Only and can hold keys for the cabinet.

The Park is currently in discussions with the Isle of Man Constabulary in order to establish an agreement whereby an AFO can be sent by the Isle of Man Constabulary to destroy dangerous or unnecessarily suffering animals which the Wildlife Park cannot dart for any reason. If this agreement goes ahead, and an animal has to be killed in sight of the public or other employees, the firearms team should not be expected to assist in the clean up operations.

Escapes are dynamic situations – each is different and can evolve in an unexpected manner. There is no procedure therefore that can cover all eventualities. The Manager or person in charge therefore has to make the best decisions they can on the spot with their common knowledge, expert knowledge and information they have to hand (which may not be the full picture). 4. Appendices

4.1. Appendix 1 – Categorisation of Our Animals

1. Animal keepers working in direct contact with animals should be aware of and work in accordance with the standards laid down in the Secretary of State's Standards of Modern Zoo Practice, especially those parts referring to the hazardous animal categories. These categorise animals according to their likely ferocity and ability to cause harm to members of the public visiting zoos/aquariums (as opposed to a risk to staff): Category 1 - Greater risk: where contact is likely to result in serious injury or threat to life e.g. large carnivores, large hoofstock, primates and venomous snakes; Category 2 - Less risk: where contact may result in injury/illness but would not be life threatening e.g. medium sized mammals/primates and some bird species including birds of prey; Category 3 - Least risk: includes all those animals not listed in the Secretary of State’s Standards of Modern Zoo Practice in either of the above categories i.e. all the rest of the animal kingdom. The category 1 animals at Curraghs Wildlife Park as per Secretary of State's Standards of Modern Zoo Practice (SSSMZP) are:  Eurasian Lynx
    Fishing Cat  Macaque  Silvery Gibbon  Spider Monkey  King Vulture  Tapir

2. King Vultures are classified by SSSMZP as a Category 2 animal. However, looking at the individuality and behaviour of our own animals, we would classify our King Vultures as a Category animal. Our short-clawed otters, which are classified as Category 1 by SSSMZP, we would consider as a Category 2 animal.

*Tapir – could be classed as category 1 or 2 depending on behaviour. If charging around the Park on a busy day could seriously injure a child. However if sat quietly under a bush and calm may pose a much lower risk.

The Parks category one animals are not all and depending on circumstance may not need to be treated as a category one (Clearing the whole park). However if after accessing the situation and there is any doubt then implement the full category one plan of action on escape.

4.2. Appendix 2 - Emergency knock out doses

Lynx: 18-30kg (calculated dose for 25kg) Ketamine 3.5mg/kg (up to 8mg/kg) => 0.8ml (max 2ml) Medetomidine 0.05mg/kg (up to 0.6mg/kg) => 1.5ml (max 15ml)

Javan Gibbon: 6kg Ketamine 7.5mg/kg (up to 12mg

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