A wildlife park in the Highlands is facing closure after a council inspection uncovered health and safety issues believed to relate to animal welfare.
The Black Isle visitor attraction – home to zebras, goats and meerkats – has been shut for a week-and-a-half.
Yesterday, it emerged that concerns have been raised about the wellbeing of the 50-acre park’s four-legged residents and councillors are poised to review its licence.
The owners remained defiant last night as a close friend claimed it would reopen this morning – but they face a fight to keep their licence at a special meeting on Wednesday.
Councillors will consider the details of an environmental health report on Black Isle Wildlife Park at a special meeting of the licensing committee in Inverness.
Owners Eric and Maureen Maxwell are entitled to operate the park, at Drumsmittal by North Kessock, pending the outcome of the meeting.
Last night, a family friend, said the owners closed the attraction for redesign and restructuring purposes, adding that the move was not connected to the matters to be considered next week.
The park features ponds, fields and several animal enclosures and is home to a wide range of animals such as lemurs, llamas, zebras, meerkats, and farm animals including goats.
A Highland Council spokeswoman confirmed that the park’s zoo licence would be considered by councillors at the meeting, originally scheduled to be heard in private earlier this week.
The park’s owners have been invited to attend the meeting and will be able to state their case to councillors.
Yesterday, a sign could be seen on the entrance gate to the attraction which read: “Sorry, park closed today for essential park maintenance. Sorry for inconvenience. Thank you.”
Last night, the owners declined to comment on the looming meeting for legal reasons, but a family friend said: “They have been closed for redesigning and restructuring of the park, nothing at all to do with what’s happening next week.
“It has been closed for just over a week – about a week-and-a-half.”
The Scottish SPCA was unable to provide a comment last night.
The wildlife park was established in 1995 and has hit the headlines several times recently.
In 2013, zoo keepers spent the day scouring the area after a llama went on the run by leaping out of its pen just a few days after arriving.
In 2011, a three-year-old wallaby called Joey caused traffic chaos and got into a scrape with a flock of sheep when it strayed from the park.
Police were called by several concerned motorists as the creature hopped along the roads, but park owners only managed to capture Joey with a net two days later.
And in 2010, the owners were also caught by surprise when two meerkats, which they believed to be male, gave birth to four babies.