Report clears Dublin Zoo of all allegations of wrongdoing

In a statement reacting to the NPWS report, Dublin Zoo said: “The NPWS has unequivocally affirmed that the staff at Dublin Zoo are unwaveringly dedicated to the highest standards of animal welfare, ensuring the well-being and dignity of every animal in their care, both as individuals and as populations." File photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins

A report into allegations made by whistleblowers at Dublin Zoo has cleared the charity of all wrongdoing.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service carried out a new investigation into the claims of animal mistreatment, first raised by a whistleblower in 2022, and subsequently raised in the Dáil.

The NPWS report said the zoo has been cleared of 17 allegations of mistreatment of animals.

One of the allegations was partially supported and involved a female sea lion, Kipper, who died while giving birth in August 2004.

The report acknowledged that although earlier intervention could have been beneficial, the actions taken at the time were consistent with the knowledge and facilities available then.

The NPWS concluded that, in some cases, whistleblowers were “poorly informed as they lacked the correct information, either due to not being present when the case occurred, or they were not made aware of all the details at the time of the event”.

In one allegation, a whistleblower claimed a bongo calf was stillborn and did not survive a caesarean section. The report found the calf did survive but was later euthanised at six days old because of a traumatic hip dislocation during its birth.

Another allegation was made about a female ostrich who broke her pelvis while mating and was left untreated for eight months. The NPWS said it found no evidence that mating had taken place and that the ostrich died in a pen from a lung ailment.

Of the 17 cases, nine were considered to have fallen into the category of a complaint of a HR nature between one of the whistleblowers and Dublin Zoo senior staff. 

“These differences of opinion were not considered to have led to the welfare compromise in the manner alleged in the cases,” the NPWS said.

Dublin Zoo reaction

In a statement reacting to the NPWS report, Dublin Zoo said: “The NPWS has unequivocally affirmed that the staff at Dublin Zoo are unwaveringly dedicated to the highest standards of animal welfare, ensuring the well-being and dignity of every animal in their care, both as individuals and as populations."

The publication of the special investigation comes a day after the Dublin Zoo whistleblower returned to work having been on leave for a year.

Dublin Zoo has acknowledged human error is “unavoidable” in managing animal welfare so the course of action taken once an issue is identified and the manner of its resolution is crucial.

“We are pleased that the reputation of Dublin Zoo and our dedicated team of employees and volunteers, who live and breathe our mandate of animal welfare daily, has once again been upheld,” the zoo concluded.