Wildlife and countryside

Homepage > Wildlife & Countryside > Global Wildlife & Zoos > Zoos Forum

The Zoos Forum

What is the Zoos Forum?

The Zoos Forum is an independent advisory body on zoo licensing matters. The members of the Forum represent a broad range of expertise and experience in the world of animal welfare and conservation, from scientists and veterinary surgeons to educators and directors of animal conservation institutions.

Terms of Reference

1. The Forum's Terms of Reference are:

  • to encourage the role of zoos in conservation, education and scientific research; to keep under review the operation and implementation of the zoo licensing system in the UK and to advise or make recommendations to Ministers of any legislative or other changes that may be necessary.

2. The Forum can:

  • investigate any specific aspects of zoo policy and practice falling within its remit;
  • consider any animal-related issue where there is a specific zoo interest and offer advice on animal welfare where no other more suitable body exists through which these views could be more appropriately put;
  • seek and obtain detailed advice or assistance from other persons or organisations with knowledge or experience appearing to the Forum to be relevant to its work;
  • assess the evolving role of zoos in society; and foster a fuller understanding of that role;
  • communicate freely with outside bodies, the European Commission and the public; and
  • publish its advice independently.

Current Membership

The recruitment of the Chair and members of the Forum was carried out in accordance with the Nolan Committee procedures on public appointments. The Chair and members are not paid. To avoid all members coming to the end of their terms at the same time, the length of these appointments varies from 2-3 years.

The membership of the Forum is:

Dr James Kirkwood (Chairman). Chief Executive and Scientific Director of the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) and the Humane Slaughter Association (HSA). He is a visiting Professor in the Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases at the Royal Veterinary College and Editor in Chief of the quarterly scientific journal 'Animal Welfare.' He is a Member of the Council of the Zoological Society of London. He was Senior Veterinary Officer at the Zoological Society of London for 12 years and Head of the Institute of Zoology's Veterinary Science Group. He was a Defra zoo inspector for 16 years and has published over 150 papers in the scientific literature including many on veterinary aspects of wildlife conservation and welfare.

Dr Brian Bertram. He was a field research worker in animal behaviour before becoming Curator of Mammals at London Zoo. He then became Director-General of The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust and following that Special Projects Co-ordinator at Bristol Zoo Gardens before retiring at the end of 2003. He is on the Council of the Zoological Society of London and on its Animal Welfare Committee. He has been a Zoo Inspector since 1983.

Alastair Grant. Principal Environmental Health Officer at Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council. He has been involved with the Zoo Licensing Act since 1984.

Raymond Ings. Worked for the RSPCA for 13 years as an Education Officer where he had a responsibility for the higher education programme. He ran several overseas courses in animal welfare science and education. He has a BSc in Zoology and an MSc in Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare. He has published research in environmental enrichment in the zoo environment. He occasionally lectures in zoo animal behaviour and welfare.

Anna Meredith. She is Head of the Exotic Animal Service at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh and Head Veterinary Surgeon at Edinburgh Zoo. She lectures internationally on exotic and wild animal medicine and welfare. She is past president and council member of the British Veterinary Zoological Society, and has been a Zoo Inspector in Scotland since 1996.

Stewart Muir. He is Assistant Director at Newquay Zoo and founder and Honorary Director of Shaldon Wildlife Trust. He is Chairman of the EAZA Taxon Advisory Group for Small Carnivores and a member of EAZA Taxonomic Advisory Group Committee for Callithrichids.

Peter Wearden. Divisional Environmental Health Officer at South Hams District Council. He has been involved with zoo licensing since 1984. He was also involved in the revision and drafting of the guidance regarding health and safety in zoos.

Stephen P Woollard. He is the Education & Interpretation Manager for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Edinburgh Zoo. He has been involved in environmental education in zoos since 1987, working at Twycross, Bristol and Dudley Zoos. He is a Council Member of the Association of British Wild Animal Keepers and lecturer on the M.Sc. Primate Conservation course at Oxford Brookes University.

Dr John Eddison, Senior Lecturer in Applied Ethology and Director of Postgraduate Taught Programmes in the School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth. He is the programme leader of MSc Zoo Conservation Biology that is delivered by the University in partnership with Paignton Zoo Environmental Park. He has lectured and conducted research on animal behaviour and welfare for over 20 years. He was an officer and council member of the International Society for Applied Ethology from 1995 to 2000; and he is currently a member of the Editorial Board of the scientific journal, ‘Applied Animal Behaviour Science’.

David Field is the Zoological Director for Zoological Society of London and is responsible for London and Whipsnade Zoos. Prior to this he was Assistant Director at Dublin Zoo. David is the European Studbook keeper for Golden Lion Tamarins, a council member of BIAZA, a member of the board for ISIS (International Species Information Systems) and an editor of the International Zoo Yearbook.

Dr David Price, Lecturer in Genetics in the School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth. He currently delivers a module on Animal Conservation for the MSc Zoo Conservation Biology programme at Plymouth and was responsible for developing an Aquarium Sciences and Conservation module in collaboration with the National Marine Aquarium for the MSc Applied Fish Biology programme. He was also on the editorial board of the scientific journal “Aquarium Sciences and Conservation”. He was the co-designer and former manager of the multi-purpose aquarium at the University. His research interests include the genetics of susceptibility of fish to disease and, more recently, in situ and ex situ conservation of freshwater fish species in Mexico and the United Arab Emirates.

Sharon Redrobe is Head of Veterinary Services, Bristol Zoo Gardens and Honorary Senior Lecturer at Bristol University. She lectures internationally and has authored many papers on aspects of conservation and veterinary medicine. She is currently a member of the Editorial Board of the scientific journal ‘Journal of Zoo & Wildlife Medicine’. She is the Veterinary Advisor for a number of European endangered species breeding programmes (EEPs) and the Cameroon Wildlife Aid Fund. She is a council member of the British Veterinary Zoological Society, and is a Zoo Inspector in England. She is also a RCVS Recognised Specialist in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine.

The Code of Conduct

For the full explanation of the rules of the Code of Conduct that members must adhere to please read the full Zoos Forum Code of Conduct, agreed at the first meeting held in May 1999.

There is also a Code of Openness.

Who to contact

The Zoos Forum Secretariat is co-ordinated within the Global Wildlife Division of Defra.

All correspondence to the Forum should be clearly addressed or marked as being for the attention of the Zoos Forum.

Zoo Licensing Branch
Wildlife Species Conservation
Defra
Zone 1/10, Temple Quay House
2, The Square
Temple Quay
Bristol BS1 6EB
Tel: 0117 372 8686
Email: zoos.branch@defra.gsi.gov.uk

The Zoos Forum Handbook

The Zoos Forum has put together a handbook for all with a stake holding in zoos to use.

The handbook is a living document and will be reviewed, updated and added to on a regular basis to reflect new developments in animal management, best zoo practice etc.

The chapters available so far are The ethical review process, Conservation, education and research, Sustainability initiatives in UK zoos, Animal welfare and its assessment in zoos, and Diving in zoos and aquariums. See:

Zoos Forum guidance on the Zoo Licensing Act's requirement for participation in 'education and public awareness': suggested benchmarks for minimum standards.
Zoos Forum guidance on the Zoo Licensing Act’s requirement for zoos to participate in conservation measures: suggested benchmarks for minimum standards

Since 2003 the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 (as amended) has required all zoos to participate in conservation and education measures. Defra’s main guidance, The Secretary of State’s Standards of Modern Zoo Practice, sets out that the contribution to conservation and education is expected to be proportionate to the size and type of the zoo. This guidance aims to supplement Defra’s statutory guidance and sets out, through a series of hypothetical examples, the level of participation in conservation and education measures which the Zoos Forum suggests as the minimum contribution that should be required from different sizes and types of zoos.

This guidance is intended as an aid for local authority officers and zoo inspectors to refer to in administering the zoo licensing regime, and also to be useful to zoo operators in understanding the minimum contribution that will be expected of them in order to meet the requirements of the zoo licensing regime and in auditing their own zoos’ work. It is not intended to provide a rigid checklist of requirements, but rather to illustrate what is considered to be a reasonable overall level of participation in conservation and education.

It should also be noted that this guidance focuses on minimum standards, whereas the Zoos Forum encourages all zoos to aim to greatly exceed the minimum level and make the maximum contribution they can to conservation and education.

The guidance will form part of the Zoos Forum Handbook which comprises guidance and information on a variety of zoo topics.

Zoos Forum guidance on interpretation of “…kept for exhibition to the public...” under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981

Interpretation of kept for exhibition [PDF] (38 KB)

Zoos Forum guidance on the educational and content/value of shows and presentations in zoos

Animal presentations and education [PDF] (24 KB)

Zoos Forum model direction to comply with zoo licence conditions

The Zoos Forum has prepared the attached model direction to comply with zoo licence conditions to assist local authorities in implementing section 16A(2) of the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 when faced with the possible closure of a zoo.

Model direction to comply with zoo licence conditions [PDF] (25 KB)

Conservation, education and research chapter update

Appendix 3 of this handbook chapter refers to The World Zoo Conservation Strategy published in September 1993. In May 2005 a second World Zoo Conservation Strategy was published which reinforces and expands the overall themes of the first document and presents a vision of the roles that all zoos and aquariums can play in the conservation of wildlife and of their ecosystems. The executive summary to this new document is now attached as an Annex to this Handbook chapter.

Further information and access to the full document

Annual reports

Publications scheme

Strategic Work Plan

Meetings

Next meeting: Monday 1 September 2008

The last meeting of the Zoos Forum took place on Wednesday 4 June 2008 in London. The draft minutes for this meeting will be published here shortly. At that meeting the Forum signed off the minutes of the previous meeting which was held on 26 February 2008. These minutes are now available below.

Zoos Forum Open Meeting

The Zoos Forum held its annual open meeting on Tuesday 26th February 2008 in Bristol. Members of the public were invited to attend this meeting and were able to observe the Forum at work in the morning, and in the afternoon the Forum answered questions from the floor. The minutes of the meeting are attached below, they were signed off at the 4 June meeting.

The forum meets regularly. Minutes of the recent meetings not included in the annual reports can be found below:

Minutes from previous meetings are included in the Annual Reports.

Further information is available on our Help page about downloading or reading Adobe Acrobat documents.

Page last modified: 05 June 2008

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs