Bird lovers have hit back at Sefton Council’s decision to close a historic Churchtown aviary. The ECHO revealed last week how PETA, the world’s largest animal rights group, had come forward to support the local authority’s move to close down the 87-year-old aviary at Churchtown Botanic Gardens.
Council's reasoning for closure
The council confirmed in July it would look to close the aviary in March next year as it is not keeping up with modern animal welfare standards expected for the birds in its care and the costs associated with maintaining its infrastructure are too great. Cllr Marion Atkinson, leader of Sefton Council, said efforts were made a decade ago to transfer the site off the borough’s books before they fell through.
Campaigners' response
Members of the Save Our Aviary campaign have branded the council’s position as “generic” and said a “public asset can’t be closed on ideological grounds”. In response to testimonies by PETA and other animal groups, the campaigners have sought the expertise of a former DEFRA zoo inspector who said “lives of the birds will not be improved by being moved”.
Last week, Sefton Council said efforts will be made to rehome the animals with suitably equipped organisations and euthanasia will not be considered. Dr Carys Bennett, PETA’s senior corporate projects manager, said the organisation “applauds” Sefton’s decision to rehome the animals to facilities better able to meet their needs.
She said: “Birds are not ornaments to be displayed. The aviary’s parrots, for example, are highly social animals who, in nature, live in flocks, fly long distances, forage for food, and make their own choices.”
Campaign's statement and expert support
In a statement, the Save Our Aviary campaign hit back at the position of the experts and borough council. They said: “In a desperate attempt to counter the growing local, regional and national support against the closure of Botanic Garden’s rescue Aviary in Southport, Sefton (Council) have released a position statement claiming they have the support of animal welfare experts from across the world.
“These claims, just like the council’s original reason for closure, are nothing more than generic views about captivity. Without assessing the Aviary itself, this is opinion, not evidence.
“Sefton are now backfilling justification after the fact, not presenting evidence that informed the original decision. A public asset can’t be closed on ideological grounds.”
The campaign has also enlisted the support of Peter Scott, former zoo inspector and honorary member of the British Veterinary Zoological Society. Mr Scott said the birds at the Aviary are “kept well, fed appropriately” and are able to “fly short distances and to escape from people when they wish”.
Mr Scott added: “Rather than the naive view that birds must be free and flying, a more nuanced approach should be taken. Free and flying enables birds to encounter aggression, predation, injury, starvation.
“We obviously have a responsibility to the imprinted bird which will likely show distress, distraction behaviour such as plucking if it does not receive the human interaction it craves. I appreciate that the council wishes that they hadn’t been taken from the wild. In reality they are already here, and in all likelihood captively bred here.
“The Southport Botanic Gardens is providing a good service for the community in rescuing these birds and animals, providing a free resource for visitors, providing the birds with space and human interaction to enrich their welfare.”
Mr Scott added how the resource should be “protected and lauded, not sacrificed to political whim or even worse unreasoning dogma.”
He said: “The lives of the birds etc will not be improved by being moved.”
