ANIMAL welfare experts have welcomed a move to introduce a live 'theatre arena' by the controversial new owners of Blackpool Zoo.

As reported in The Citizen (March 13), Grant Leisure Group Ltd have taken over the organisation and development of the resort's zoo in a deal with Blackpool Borough Council which is set to last for up to 125 years.

The American company -- headed by millionaire zoo entrepreneur, Andy Grant -- have been involved in similar projects around the world including Busch Gardens in Florida and zoos in London, Hong Kong, Kuwait and San Diego. But, inthe past, it has come under fire from animal rights activists -- such as the Born Free Foundation -- who claim they have received complaints relating to animal welfare at Grant Leisure sites and were initially opposed to the firm taking over the zoo.

Despite opposition the take-over went ahead on April 1 and Grant Leisure have promised to invest millions of pounds into the attraction over the next ten years as part of a long-term development strategy. This will include a revamp of current facilities as well as the introduction of new attractions, and may include a plan to introduce a new theatre arena which would allow visitors to observe animals acting as they would in their natural habitat.

Daniel Turner, Zoo Check Co-ordinator for the Born Free Foundation, says the move could be a valuable addition and help establish an educational balance at the zoo.

But has urged Grant Leisure that "education needs to take precedence over entertainment" at the zoo.

He said: "The concept of a theatre arena is that it is not a 'show' as such.

"All zoo's are responsible for having a commitment to ensuring animal's are maintained in conditions similar to those in the wild and provide an educational environment for the public.

"Theatre arenas in other zoos can provide a valuable contribution towards this, such as the example at London Zoo -- which was also the brainchild of Grant Leisure.

"Here animals do not perform tricks for entertainment purposes, but are encouraged to imitate actions they would do naturally in the wild.

"It's mildly concerning that the first thing Grant Leisure do since taking over Blackpool Zoo is reform the catering services on site, but if Grant Leisure have a similar operation to London Zoo in mind then the people of Blackpool will no doubt benefit from the experience.

"Education needs to take precedence over entertainment and should my initial reservations about the company's take-over of the zoo prove to be correct then this attraction could go from being an educational experience to something completely absurd.

"We don't want to see animals exploited for entertainment value and hope Grant Leisure can recognise that zoo's have moved on from this kind of attraction."

A Grant Leisure spokesman for Blackpool Zoo said: "We have a number of projects in the pipeline at the moment including an extensive review of the current visitor facilities as well as new animal attractions. One of the things on our wish list is a theatre arena, which may be modelled on the lines of the London Zoo arena and would provide a venue for us to present our animals in an educational way.

"At the moment we are concentrating on introducing more meerkat's and extending our present breeding programme. All our new plans centre on which new breeds of animals we are able to acquire, but we do recognise the valuable contribution a theatre arena would make to the zoo."