Clissold Park: time to close the ‘zoo’

Is Clissold Park suitable for its resident deer? Photo: © Izzie Tran

Following the recent deaths of the two fallow deer in their enclosure at Clissold Park, the vet’s post-mortem is a damning indictment of the park management and Hackney Council’s cavalier attitude towards the animals in its care.

The report confirms that after being mauled by a dog, the first deer died a slow, agonising death, as park staff failed to call a vet until the next day. The second deer died after suffering a week of a stress-aggravated internal infection. Both deaths could have been prevented if the fencing around the deer enclosure had been made secure from dog attacks and vandals.

However well-meaning  Hackney Council may be, it is clearly incapable of ensuring the appropriate day-to-day welfare of the animals in its care. Four rabbits were killed by a fox in November when their pen was left insecure, even though expert advice on fox-proof fencing and humane-fox deterrence is readily available.

In early August last year a deer had to be euthanased after the deer enclosure was breached by vandals and later the same month a dog got in, worrying and biting the herd. Last October there was an arson attack and vandals released three deer from the enclosure.

In fact, the deer pen at Clissold Park has never been an appropriate place for deer. In 1891, when it was introduced to the park, it was regarded as a ‘bold experiment due to the confined space‘ – this coming at a time when animal cruelty was rife and deer welfare not exactly a matter of concern.

In August 2010, nearly 120 years later, deer vet Peter Green reported that Hackney Council had caused the herd unnecessary suffering and were in breach of their duty of care under the Animal Welfare Act.

His latest, post-mortem report shows the Council has learned nothing in the last six months and, even though they have a veterinary contract, do not immediately call in an expert when a crisis occurs but instead leave an animal to die overnight.

Clissold Park’s relationship with its animals has often been an unhappy one. In addition to the recent appalling lapses in animal care, rabbits and guinea pigs were cruelly killed in their enclosure there in the 1980s.

The park will always suffer the blight of vandals and uncontrolled dogs. The new animal enclosures will not improve on this record. They will be too small, too noisy, too insecure and exposed, providing too little shelter and insufficient grazing and the deer will remain prone to stress.

A few years ago, out of concern for the fate of the animals and birds, I helped the council secure a small amount of lottery funding to ensure the animals remained in the park. Now I am desperate to see all the animals and birds re-homed to an environment appropriate to their needs and welfare, where they will be properly looked after by experts in animal husbandry. Sadly, Clissold Park is no such place.

The campaign group Clissold Park Zoo Watch says it is time to close the ‘zoo’ and is holding a picket at the deer pen at 11am Saturday 19 March. Everyone is welcome to come along.

For more information email: clissoldzoowatch@gmail.com

Barbara Read

Stoke Newington

Related: Vet slams Hackney Council over Clissold Park deer deaths