Dublin Zoo 'vehemently' denies allegations made in Dáil of animal cruelty and sexual harassment

Dublin Zoo denied the animal welfare allegations and said it had been recognised for quality of care. Picture: Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie

The Dáil has heard allegations of financial mismanagement, animal cruelty and sexual harassment at Dublin Zoo.

People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy made the allegations as he introduced a bill on Thursday which would lead to emergency examination of the zoo.

Mr Murphy said the animal welfare issues included the death of cheetah cubs after their mother was moved from Fota Wildlife Park in Cork to Dublin Zoo while pregnant at Halloween.

He said: “She gave birth the next day and all the baby cubs are now dead.

“She should never have been moved when pregnant and also had inexperienced people looking after her.” 

On harassment, Mr Murphy told the Dáil a female staff member repeatedly complained about being harassed by a male manager, who was eventually suspended for four months, but said: “During that time, he was at least on one occasion sitting outside her house in a car late at night.” He said the man was still a member of staff.

He added: “In another incident, three female members of staff were sexually harassed by a male manager at a conference.

“A subsequent HR investigation confirmed three instances of harassment.

“He is still a senior manager at the zoo.” 

Mr Murphy also raised the “deaths of all the African wild dogs”, which were part of an endangered species for whom concerns were raised by the National Parks and Wildlife Service three years ago.

“This time, welfare concerns raised by experienced zookeepers weren’t investigated in time and all the dogs died.

“One dog had cancer in the mouth that was left untreated and had to be put down. Before it died, it got no medication or medical intervention.

“Another was pregnant and became very swollen. Her lungs and heart became filled with fluid. She never recovered after being administered an anaesthetic and died. That species is now gone from the zoo.” 

Mr Murphy said all wolves at the zoo were also “put down after a health check”.

“Other animal deaths have included four bongo antelopes and a black buck or Indian antelope, whose leg was snapped in half and left hanging on by a ligament after being inappropriately transported in a horsebox."

Dublin Zoo, in a statement, said: "Dublin Zoo vehemently disputes the allegations made today in the Dáil and objects, in the strongest possible terms, also to the manner in which these claims have been raised without any prior engagement with the zoo.

"The assertions are either wholly misleading, completely false or contain inaccurate and unsubstantiated clinical assessments."

It denied the animal welfare allegations and said it had been recognised for quality of care.

It said all HR matters "are addressed in accordance with best practice".