Killarney wildlife park shuts 'because of red tape'

Too much red tape and new regulations have forced a popular Killarney wildlife park and visitor attraction to close after 25 years.

Meanwhile, the Department of Culture, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht does not have the personnel or the expertise in animal husbandry and exotic animals to enforce the regulations and has had to outsource the work to a UK firm.

The privately owned Coolwood nature reserve opened in 1993, following approaches from the local tourism industry to animal collector, Sean Buckley. The area did not have an animal attraction and this was a solution.