Southport Zoo

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Southport Zoo was a zoological garden in Southport, Lancashire, England run by husband and wife Carol and Dougie Petrie . It was located close to the amusement park Pleasureland. It was closed in 2004 after years of criticism by animal rights. It covered 2 acres and was home to 154 species of wild animals and birds. The animal collection included Chimpanzees, Lar Gibbons, African Lions, Mandrills, Flamingoes, Giant Tortoises, Parrots, Black and White Ruffed Lemurs, Reptiles, Owls and Pheasants.

	Number of species	Number of animals
Mammals	33	124
Birds	60	193
Reptiles	31	128
Amphibians	3	12
Fishes	23	166
Invertebrates	4	649
Total	154	1272

In July 2001, The Petries were fined £5,000 for keeping endangered birds and animals without a proper licence. Doug Petrie changed his plea from not guilty to one of guilty half way through his trial on 11 July after it emerged he had received a letter from the Department of the Environment, Transport and Regions in February 1998, informing him of a change to licensing procedures in the March of that year. He was told certain endangered animals, classified as Annex A species, those most at risk, would require an Article 30 certificate allowing them to be displayed for commercial purposes. Petrie was warned the zoo would be breaking the law if he failed to obtain such a certificate. In September 2000 during the local authority Zoo Inspector's visit, it was discovered that Petrie still did not have the Article 30 certificates and he was reported to the police. In November Merseyside Police, RSPCA officers and TRAFFIC (part of the WWF), acting on a search warrant, raided the zoo. Petrie was charged and sent to trial. The court was told he had applied for such a licence only on November 14 2000, six days before the zoo was raided. Although a licence was issued in April this year it failed to cover him for the time from March 31, 1998, until the date of issue.The animals and birds that were taken are 3 ocelots, 4 tawny owls, 1 scarlet macaw, 3 barn owls, 3 cotton topped tamarins, 10 spur thighed tortoises, 1 radiated tortoise, 9 Hermans tortoises, 1 Hermans tortoise shell, 1 sea turtle shell. The zoo was also heavily criticized for the housing of their two male Chimpanzees Jackie and Jason, they were also featured on TV Series Monkey Business were Alison and Jim Cronin tried to persuade the Petries to hand their two Chimps to be housed at the Cronin’s zoo in Dorset. A Campaign named free Jackie and Jason was started. Despite this the chimps remained at the zoo until the end. Dpugie Petrie refused to send the Chimps to the Cronin’s and instead sent them alongside other zoo primates to Cefn Yr Erw in Wales. After closure the Mandrills left for a private collection and Trotters World Of Animals. Zoo Owner Dougie Petrie planned on opening a new zoo in Yorkshire and some of the Southport animals were kept, it is unknown if the Petries still own some of the zoo animals.