Rescue centre at 'breaking point' over £40k bills

47 minutes ago

Charlotte HendersonEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

News image — Ark Wildlife Park near Boston rescues animals that are involved in the exotic pet trade

BBC A sand coloured caracal looks through a wire fence in its enclosure. The animal is standing on a grassed area. A wooden hut, poles and shrubs are visible in the background. — Ark Wildlife Park near Boston rescues animals that are involved in the exotic pet trade

An animal rescue centre has claimed it is at "breaking point" after seeing its running costs spiral to £40,000 a month.

The Ark Wildlife Park, near Boston, Lincolnshire has 232 animals in its care including meerkats, crocodiles, snakes and wildcats.

Officials said their outgoings included about £5,000 in energy costs with the rest covering food, site maintenance, medical care and other operating costs.

Owner Jamie Mintram said income from ticket sales and visitors no longer covered the bills. He added: "Things are at breaking point, we are now asking for a hand."

A man with grey hair and a beard sits in an office. He is wearing a green jacket and a blue hooded jumper. A desk is visible behind him with a microscope and paperwork on the surface. — Owner Jamie Mintram said the cost of running the park stands at £40,000 a month

It is not the first time the park which operates a zoo, animal refuge and dinosaur attraction has warned of financial struggles.

In 2020, Mintram launched a crowdfunding appeal to cover winter costs and said he would consider selling his house to ensure the park survived during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Everyone is feeling the cost of living crisis and we've seen a big increase in our bills. We need help to care for our current animals but also those we're being asked to give homes to," Mintram added.

"A lot of these exotic animals are very expensive to keep, they require a lot of heating for example, it costs a lot of money to look after them."

A Eurasian Lynx yawns in its enclosure. The animal is behind a fence which is attached to a wooden pole which has turned green. A red building is visible in the distance along with several trees. — Officials at the park would like to see tighter restrictions on the sale of exotic pets

The park owner also said upcoming Government legislation making it illegal to keep monkeys, lemurs, and other primates in England without a licence could prompt a rise in the number of animals they are asked to help.

Anyone who owns a primate without the appropriate licence could face six months in jail, an unlimited fine, or both. The rules only affect private owners.

Mintram said: "There are an estimated 5,000 primates that are currently kept in domestic settings as pets in the UK but the exact figures are hard to come by.

"Unfortunately we will see people dumping their animals when the regulation comes in.

"We saw this happen in 2019 when the invasive species regulation came in and there was a spike in animals such as raccoons and tanukis coming into us or even being let loose."

According to the charity Born Free, in 2023 there were 2,700 wild animals being kept privately in Great Britain under licences permitted by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976.

Mintram said he would like to see broader changes to the law to "cover the whole exotic pet trade".

"There are very few rescue centres who are capable of rehoming some of these animals. If we can't rehome them they risk being euthanised," he adds.

"People need to know what they are getting into before they take these animals on."

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