Glowing inspection report for Paradise Park in Hayle
Summer 2018
Zoo inspection team state “Conservation output is incredible, but even more so considering the size of the collection”
Photograph of a Chough flying free on the cliffs of Jersey after the species had been absent for over 100 years!
Paradise Park Director Alison Hales explains “We are delighted with the feedback from the zoo inspection team who undertook our recent Government ‘Zoo Licence’ check. Animal collections are required by law to have a ‘Zoo Licence’ to be able to operate. It’s wonderful that all the hard work by staff in the care and welfare of the animals, and the continued ongoing conservation work, both here in the UK and around the world is recognised with such high praise from the inspection team. One thing they recommended was that we are not very good at blowing our own trumpet, so here we are doing just that ?. We have lots of plans to promote the behind the scenes work of the staff here at Park, plus, the impact that the fundraising and conservation projects are having.”
Paradise Park Curator David Woolcock comments “I am very proud of the dedicated animal care team and the work they do. Not just with the animals and birds, but also interacting with the visitors, especially during the flying displays and feeding events. It’s a great opportunity to pass on important information about some very rare and endangered species both here in Cornwall and around the world and how we can all help make a difference in the fight to save them from extinction.”
Alison Hales continues “We would like to express a big thank you to our visitors, as without them we could not achieve the vital work we do with so many species. And of course many visitors donate at the Flying Shows or by buying one of our ‘experiences’. This helps fund many conservation projects.
Directors Alison Hales and Nick Reynolds photographed earlier this year celebrating the Park’s 45th Birthday.
Quotes from the report.
“Paradise Park is directly involved in a number of progammes in addition to its charitable arm the World Parrot Trust. The conservation output is incredible, but even more so considering the size of the collection. This zoo demonstrates what can be achieved if you put your mind to it.”
“Very good and well considered health care programme with welfare as a priority in all cases.”
“Large number of research programmes working with partners both insitu and exsitu including field conservation work, DNA assessment of species and subspecies in captive collections, cognitive research in parrots, to name a few.”
“For the size of the collection the output is huge – puts many, much larger collections to shame.”
“Very good and long standing team underpin the success of this zoo with its specialist avian breeding programmes”
“Extremely well managed first aid programme and an amazing first aid room. Commended on the monthly and annual accidents review and audits – very good”
“The inspection team would like to thank the team at Paradise Park for their hospitality, openness and transparency during the zoo licence inspection. The inspection team were hugely impressed at the standards across the collection, the consideration and integration of multiple stakeholders in the husbandry and breeding programmes, and the high standards and implementation of their conservation programmes. It was an absolute privilege to inspect a collection with such high standards and such a positive culture, demonstrating what a zoo can achieve when it puts its mind to it.”
Current conservation projects and campaigns
Operation Chough – Operation Chough is a conservation project established at Paradise Park, in Hayle, Cornwall in 1987. The most recent highlight has been that a second generation of Red-billed choughs has been bred in the wild on Jersey in the Channel Islands since the release of birds bred at Paradise Park over the past 4 years. The chough has become extinct on the island over 100 years ago.
In 2018 seven more chicks were bred in the seclusion aviaries at Paradise Park. These will stay with their families and live with the group in the large flock aviaries at the Park but may join projects elsewhere in the future.
Bea Detnon, Jessica Maxwell, Colin Stevenson, Alison Hales and Lee Durrell. Choughs being transported to Jersey in 2016 for the Birds on the Edge project.
World Parrot Trust – In 1989, Mike Reynolds, co-founder of Paradise Park, set up the World Parrot Trust, a registered charity which is now active around the world. This enables us to work for conservation in the wild as well as at Paradise Park itself. So far the Trust has helped the survival of 66 species of parrot in 42 countries.
Barn Owl Project Cornwall – This is a joint project with Cornwall Bird Watching and Preservation Society to provide new homes for Cornish Barn Owls.
Mark Grantham from CBWS with Keepers Sophie and Leanne.
Red Squirrel Project – The Red Squirrels that we breed will help establish more breeding groups including in collections in Cornwall, and in the long term we hope they will be released in Cornwall.
Red Panda Project – Donations from our ‘Red Panda Experiences’ goe towards the ‘PIT Red Panda Protected Forest’ and the ‘Plant A Red Panda Home’ – Reforesting Core Red Panda Habitat in Nepal. More information here
Nikki and Richard, two of the many supporters who booked a Red Panda Experience, which includes a donation to the PIT Red Panda Protected Forest in Nepal.
Blue Throated Macaw Project – In February 2013 a pioneering project to save critically endangered Blue-throated Macaws entered an important phase with the return of macaws to their home country. A group of six of these rare macaws travelled from Paradise Park in Cornwall, UK, to Bolivia, as part of an international project to breed and restore wild populations of the species in the country. The birds had been raised for this purpose at Paradise Park to support the project started in 2001 by the World Parrot Trust.
Paradise Park staff and vet check the Blue-throated Macaws as they prepare to travel to Bolivia.
Some of the fundraising campaigns over recent years up to 2018
£90,000 has been donated by visitors in the last 10 years for the World Parrot Trust. This money is raised by a unique experience that is part of our summer ‘Free Flying Bird Show’ at 3:30pm in the afternoon. Visitors can come up onto the stage and hold out a £1 coin (or £2 coin), a parrot will fly over, land on their arm, pick up the coin in their beak, fly back to the keeper and pop the coin into the collection pot. See a short video clip here
£11,035 to the Red Panda Network up to end of August 2019
£3,000 to Cornwall Bird Watching and Preservation Society ‘Barn Owl Project’ from 2015 – 2018
£17,690 to International Vulture Programme – from 2008 – 2018
£1750 to Cornwall Wildlife Veterinary Centre – 2010
£2500 to Alaskan Eagle Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre – 2012 to 2013
£1,750 to Gouldian Finch Conservation in Australia 2012 to 2014
£250 to Cornish Red Squirrel Project in 2013
£750 to Gouldian Finch Conservation in 2014
£400 to Mabula Ground Hornbill Project 2012
£100 each year in 2012/13/14 sponsoring the “Barnaby Award” at Duchy College in support of local conservation projects in recognition of student achievement in conservation (the award was named after Barnaby the Barn Owl who flew in the shows at Paradise Park)