Board of Trustees at Jersey Zoo survive historic vote of no confidence brought by members
ITV Channel reporter Katya Fowler gathers reactions following the historic vote
Jersey Zoo's Board of Trustees have survived a vote of no confidence.
The result of a members' ballot was announced at the first 'Extraordinary General Meeting' (EGM) in the organisation's history on Thursday evening (2 May).
2,785 votes were cast in person or via proxy with 710 calling for the board to be ousted and 1,985 supporting them - there were 90 absentations.
It means there will be no immediate changes to the Board of Trustees.
Approximately 16,000 members were eligible to vote, giving a turnout of around 17%.
The EGM took place after more than 100 members of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust which runs Jersey Zoo stated they had "lost confidence in the board's ability to protect and maintain the legacy of Gerald Durrell", the zoo's founder.
It came amid allegations that animals are not cared for properly and workers are being bullied as part of a "toxic workplace" culture with former senior staff speaking out to ITV News.
However, Chair of Trustees Matthew Hatchwell said the organisation had "done everything" to address concerns and Jersey's Chief Vet found no issues during an inspection in September 2023.
In an email to members following the result, Mr Hatchwell stated: "Starting now, our top priority is to rebuild trust and unity of purpose within Durrell, which is vital as we look to the future, to plan our next conservation strategy and build on Gerald Durrell's legacy of saving species from extinction."
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