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A NUMBER OF CHANGES HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO BETTER THE WELFARE OF THE ANIMALS 11:52, 04 Jun 2025 The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has announced that

animal welfare rules in British zoos are set for a major overhaul. The government has introduced new standards. Among the changes introduced are larger habitat enclosures for elephants,

better training for staff to handle exotic animals and improved safety measures. The changes are required as part of the Standards of Modern Zoo Practice for Great Britain, published on May

24. It is the first time in over a decade that rules protecting Great Britain’s zoo and aquarium animals have been modernised. The improvements to zoo practices include: * Larger habitats

will be introduced for elephants to better replicate the large territories elephants naturally inhabit. * The practice of tethering birds of prey as a method of long term accommodation will

be phased out, with a shift to large aviary enclosures. * Aquariums will no longer be allowed to let visitors touch fish and cephalopods - creatures such as ray and octopus are highly

intelligent animals and handling causes them stress. Article continues below Animal Welfare Minister, Baroness Hayman said: "We are a nation of animal lovers, and our best zoos and

aquariums are truly world leaders in setting the standard for how wild animals should be kept. Today’s long-overdue reforms lay the foundation for an even stronger, even more compassionate

future for all zoos and aquariums —and the animals they protect. "This is the first step as part of our commitment to deliver the most ambitious animal welfare reforms in a generation.

We’re making sure all sectors have the tools they need thrive, which is vital in our mission to deliver economic growth and make lives better for people across the country under our Plan for

Change." The CEO of Chester Zoo also spoke about the changes, Jamie Christon said: "We were delighted to welcome the Zoos Minister, Baroness Hayman, to Chester Zoo for the

official launch of the updated Secretary of State’s standards of modern zoo practice. "These new standards set a clear vision for the future of zoos in the UK and we’re pleased to have

worked closely with Defra to help shape them and ensure that they represent world class animal care." Other measures in the Standards of Modern Zoo Practice include: * Improved

conservation - Clear steps to help enforce conservation standards with new requirements for record keeping, helping drive up standards across the whole sector. * Protecting the public - All

zoos will need to ensure appropriate safety measures are in place if they want to keep dangerous animals, including double-gated entry systems, lone worker procedures, and the appropriate

availability of firearms. * Updated business plans – To ensure zoos are prepared to protect animals in the event of financial hardship, they will now be required to develop clear business

continuity plans. Article continues below There is a two-year timeline on zoos and aquariums to adapt to the changes, and phased timelines for some species-specific changes. This gives

enough time to implement the changes efficiently.