Dublin Zoo has been hit with allegations of animal welfare management failings after a Senator claimed a whistleblower revealed two monkeys and an endangered bird went missing.

The alleged whistleblower, who contacted Labour Senator Annie Hoey, has also claimed a gorilla, zebra and giraffe should have been put down sooner.

Speaking in the Seanad on Thursday, Senator Hoey used privilege in the Seanad to release details of an alleged protected disclosure by a former staff member outlining alleged animal abuse at the zoo.

Read More : Ireland’s ‘oldest dog’ Skippy dies peacefully at the age of 27

She said: “A number of months ago, I began a series of meetings with both former and current staff members in Dublin Zoo.
“I've been told by the whistleblower that there's been serious welfare issues near misses, safety and management concerns at Dublin Zoo.”

Dublin Zoo has said in a statement that it “vehemently disputes unfounded allegations of mistreatment of animals and objects in the strongest possible terms to the manner in which these allegations have been made without any engagement with Dublin Zoo.

“These allegations are wholly misleading and contain inaccurate clinical assessments.”

Senator Hoey told the Seanad that she has seen pictures and videos of a number of animals including a zebra, named Kildare, who died in December 2020.

She read the whistleblower’s words and told how the zebra was left “severely paralysed” following the extraction of a tooth but when there was...

Read Full Story: https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/dublin-zoo-denies-allegations-abus...