Trust status plan for Banham Zoo moves forward
Banham, Norfolk. Animal Record Keeper Lauren Attride counting the animals at Banham Zoo as part of their annual animal stock take pictured counting the Meerkats
The owner of a popular south Norfolk zoo has said plans to transfer the attraction into a newly formed charitable trust are moving forward.
Martin Goymour, who opened Banham Zoo in 1968, announced in October that he would be transferring both Banham Zoo and its sister zoo Africa Alive! in Kessingland into a new trust, the Zoological Society of East Anglia (ZSEA.)
Mr Goymour, who made the decision to protect the long-term future of the animals, hoped the trust would be operational by January 1, but said the transfer is running a little behind due to legal necessities.
He said: “We achieved charitable status for the Zoological Society of East Anglia in the middle of December so that’s the early part.
“We’re in the process of doing all the legal work to move the assets of Banham Zoo and Africa Alive! into the new charity and to set up all the legal necessities. We had planned to be operational by January 1 but it looks as if it’s going to be February 1. ”
The trust hopes to bring benefits such as reduced ticket prices and aid sponsorship and fundraising, which Mr Goymour plans to spend on maintaining and expanding the zoos.
He added: “I want to see the conservation work and other work we do with the animals and have done for the last 40 years continue for the long-term and I think a charity trust is the way to do that.
“We want to provide a very valuable resource for Norfolk and Suffolk and for the people who are regular supporters.”
Staff at Banham Zoo have had a busy start to the year completing a stock take with a difference.
In accordance with the Zoo Licensing Act, staff have been counting every animal in the 124 species living at the zoo, from cockroaches to cheetahs, snails to seals.
The stock take allows the zoo to update it’s records as well as giving keepers a chance to see the animals and give the enclosures a clean. Clare Collins, animal record keeper said: “There’s a lot of different animals and some animals don’t always come out. The giraffes and the big cats you see everyday but things like the red squirrels you don’t see much at this time of year, so you have to entice them out with something tasty.”
Email to a friend
Print this page- BREAKING: Young motorcyclist from Eye who died in Fressingfield road crash yesterday is named
- Man, 25, from Eye dies after motorcycle collision in north Suffolk
- Man assaulted in hotel car park in Diss
- Is something sinister behind the missing Diss Mere Street chickens?
- Laptop and bank documents stolen during Diss burglary
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Diss
Thursday 23 May 2013
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 4 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 5 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: North east
