Small zoo populations mean that it is necessary to exchange animals with breeding programs to keep the gene pool as broad as possible. Before 31 December 2020, an average year saw around 1,400 transfers between the UK and other EU countries. But in 2021 there were only 56, and so far this year there have been 84, according to the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums ( Biaza). Nicky Needham, Biaza’s senior director of animal care and conservation, said there were more than 400 European Endangered Species Programs (EEPs) and UK zoos and aquariums were involved in coordinating around 25%. “These are safety net populations for endangered species,” he said. “Animal transfers between zoos and aquariums are carefully planned to maintain a healthy genetic population.” A program to save the eastern black rhino, a critically endangered species, has 87 animals, of which around 39 are in UK zoos. “Losing this would jeopardize the viability of the population and stop reintroductions into east Africa,” Needham said. Twin golden lion tamarins, born at Bristol Zoo, cling to their parents. Photo: Ben Birchall/PA Transfers have dropped for two main reasons, Needham said. Since Brexit, a new EU Animal Health Regulation has come into force, having been agreed in 2016. This has created new controls on animal and plant imports into the EU, known as sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) controls. Many of these checks must be carried out at border checkpoints, which are usually set up by private companies. A few exist in EU airports, but so far none in French ports, creating an effective ban on the import of any large animal. Last week, the Observer revealed that farmers were considering taking the extraordinary step of building a border control station in Calais and paying for it themselves so that farmers could export their pedigree cattle, sheep and pigs. The few animals that have been successfully transported to European zoos have traveled by plane. One was Sammi, a margay or tiger cat, born at Shaldon Wildlife Trust in Devon in late 2020. Margays are native to Central and South America, but illegal hunting means they are now classified as endangered by the International Union for Nature Conservation. A Sumatran tiger named Dash has been recruited by Chester Zoo from Fota Wildlife Park in Ireland to help protect his critically endangered species. Photo: Chester Zoo/PA There are 45 in Europe, with only six breeding pairs, so after 10 months of age, when margays leave their mothers, Sammi was scheduled to go to Berlin Zoo to mate with a female margay from France. “Before Brexit this would not have been a problem,” said Zak Showell, chief executive of the Shaldon Wildlife Trust. “It would take a month or two to arrange for the animal to be picked up by a specialist transport company. This lasted six months. “When dealing with small populations, being able to move animals around to create new breeding pairs is incredibly important. Some animals like the black rhino, if you don’t breed them then they stop cycling. Having individuals alone or not in breeding situations hinders the ability to continue to breed these endangered species.” Some zoos were not so lucky, with transports failing or experiencing long delays. Ramon the orangutan arrived in Munster in June 2022 from Blackpool Zoo, after a year in the planning. His departure means Blackpool Zoo keepers can introduce another male to join the group and hope for more baby orangutans. Sowell had to apply for separate animal health certificates for Sammy the marguerite. “Every time an animal is moved, Defra has to negotiate with the other country about the level of health control and surveillance and whatever else needs to be done to move that animal,” he said. Some countries want new certificates for each species, Showell added. “I’ve just been told I have to move some tamarins [New World monkeys] in Belgium. Health certificate for primates from UK to Belgium not available. It has made the whole process incredibly complicated and much more time-consuming.” Costs have also increased because specialized transport companies cannot drive their vehicles into Europe without approval. “We move more animals via airplanes, which is more expensive. And here we are talking about small animals. You can’t fit a giraffe on a plane.”
