The zoo used to allow a Sunday market to operate nearby. This moved from the car park, to the upper car park (now luxury flats) to the waste ground at the rear, accesed by using the service road round the side of the zoo.
The gates are locked, so I wandered round the back, where the market used to be, to find that the diggers were in and laying drains etc. so it looks as if the development is underway.
Broomhouse Park lies to the side, so I wandered in there to have a look at the fence, which has 2 layers, but the neds have cut a nice access in at one end. They needn't have bothered, as the rear gate is lying open
Inside is a largely a disaster, the Tropical House is gutted:
Buildings smashed flattened or burned:
Though some survive:
As do some residents, the llama shares with others I couldn't quite recognise:
There's an enclosure near the front gate with a few Shetland ponies too.
I spotted the building below, which has at least one ostrich in the cage at centre:
However, discretion suggested I had found a good time to leave.
To the right of the building shown is a compound with an open door. While I was watching the ostrich I noticed 3 or 4 large furry animals running around. While I couldn't get a clear view when the passed the door, they didn't look like dogs. Alsatians would have been bad enough, but since I couldn't tell what they were (and they definetley were furry as in cuddly furry, I decided the visit was over and it was time to retreat to the rear gate, quietly.
The compound lies behind the caravan and yellow shop in the earlier pic. Someone must be looking after the remaining animals as they appear to be clean, fed, well and active.
Anyone got any info?