The Western Animal Rights Network and the Captive Animals Protection Society claims Noah's Ark massacres some of its animals including chickens, rabbits and ducks when the farm closes down for the winter season. The groups say the animals almost all of which are petted by the loads of young visitors to the farm annually are finished as a technique of chopping costs and then fed to the tigers. CAPS say they made the discovery in a clandestine 6 week enquiry at the zoo this summer. They say that their investigator was told the chickens were fatally injured off at the end of each season in October and other ones bred for when the zoo farm reopens in Feb .
WARN members have written to zoo farm owner, Anthony Bush, offering to take the animals and re-home them among the local people and at animal sanctuaries across the South West. A speaker for CAPS asserted : "We think WARN have made a fair approach to the zoo to offer to re home animals it may plan to kill over the closed period. "We are worried that other animals might be on this list too including ducks and rabbits. "I'm certain that many folks would be anxious if animals died when an offer to re home them has been made.". Bosses at Noah's Ark announced some of the chickens died to guarantee a healthy stock of fowl, which was standard farming practice. A spokesman for Noah's Ark announced : "Noah's Ark Zoo Farm is stunned by these remarks. "As is common in the farming industry, a little number of chickens are euthanised to make sure that we've got a healthy, but not over populated collection of fowl. "Our chickens are free range at the zoo and have masses of space and live a cheerful life. We struggle to keep on dialogue with an organisation that only tries to misrepresent facts to further their own agenda. "As we have stated on many occasions we take animal welfare gravely and are often commended on the fantastic facilities and care of our animals at Noah's Ark.". The claims come just weeks after CAPS claimed the zoo farm was breeding tigers to be used in the Great English Circus a claim also denied by the zoo. CAPS also claimed that when female tiger Tira died, her body was buried in the zoo grounds. The UK and Irish 
organisation of Zoos and Aquariums ( BIAZA ), has momentarily postponed Noah's Ark membership while an inquiry into the claims is carried out.
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