Gulliver's Land denies claims exotic creatures are suffering in its Reptile House in Milton Keynes
A concerned Gulliver’s Land customer has raised official complaints after visiting the Reptile House at Gulliver’s Land in MK.
The woman, who keep reptiles herself, claimed the creatures were kept in “horrific conditions” with no food or water available, faeces in their cages and uninhabitable substrates.
She said some looked malnourished and the bearded dragon in particular looked very ill.
"The iguana could not walk. Its nails have curled its toes and its flare is torn and looks infected,” she claimed.
The woman complained to both Gulliver’s bosses and Trading Standards and as a result an MK City Council animal health officer recently visited the Reptile House.
They reported that the water bowls were full and the animals were fed at the end of each day. But they did ask Gulliver’s to take the bearded dragon and the iguana to a vet and report back the findings.
Meanwhile the woman has published her complaints, together with photos, on social media. “The animals are in such horrific conditions. Reports have been made but no real urgency has been put in place to save the lives of these animals,” she said.
Her post prompted almost 150 responses, many of them agreeing with her concerns.
A spokesperson for Gulliver’s Theme Park Resorts, told the Citizen: “We take the welfare and safety of our animals extremely seriously. Our dedicated team of qualified animal care practitioners provide expert care and monitoring around the clock to ensure the highest standards of animal welfare.
“We are aware of the concerns that have been raised and have provided a full and detailed response to Trading Standards. We have also fully cooperated with a recent inspection of our animal enclosures, which identified no concerns.”
They added: “We would like to reassure all our guests that our animals have clear and fully documented feeding schedules and access to regular veterinary care whenever it is needed. In addition, our paddock animals have automatic waterers and plentiful hay.
"As part of our ongoing animal welfare programme, our bearded dragon is due to be assessed by an exotic veterinary specialist within the next few days.”