A zoo claims that the Brexit-related red tape surrounding animal imports has resulted in the plight of a lonely giraffe.
Mburo, a male Rothschild giraffe whose mate passed away in the previous year, has not been able to find a breeding partner at Marwell in Hampshire.
The zoo is one of 75 conservation organizations that claim breeding programs for endangered species are in danger and are calling for an end to bureaucracy.
According to Defra, it was interacting with the EU "to agree on a practical resolution.".
"We are trying to bring in a new giraffe, but getting animals across the channel is very, very difficult," Marwell CEO Dr. James Cretney said.
The process for obtaining export certification to move animals is not consistent, and each individual agreement must be mediated by the UK and independent EU states; otherwise, the animals cannot be moved.
"Some of these animals are in extinction vortices in the wild, and they are also becoming extremely rare in the captive community. ".
Marwell transported 32 animals between the UK and other countries in 2019, but only four did so in 2018.
The paperwork is so time-consuming that we recently had to hire an expert in animal transportation, according to Dr. Cretney.
75 zoos, wildlife parks, and animal sanctuaries urged the government to negotiate with the European Commission last month to allow the transfer of zoo animals between Britain and the EU in a letter addressed to Rishi Sunak.
"We are clear that the movement of zoo animals between the UK and EU should continue, and we are engaging with them to agree on a pragmatic solution," a Defra spokesperson said.
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