Bird of prey centre in Gloucestershire closes permanently after 55 years

A historic conservation centre for rare birds which has operating in Gloucestershire for half a century years has closed for good.

The CEO of International Birds of Prey Centre, in Newent, says the financial difficulties of operating during the pandemic along with the age of its buildings and legal changes mean it is no longer viable to keep the site open.

Instead the centre will focus its efforts into the charity side of the business, which will move to a new location and no longer be open to the public.

The charity, which has been operating for 55 years, says this will enable it to continue its conservation breeding efforts.

It also hopes to expand its capability to provide specialist lectures and courses while removing what it describes as an "increasingly challenging" business of running a public zoo. 

While a small number of the birds will be moved to the new location, all the vultures will go to a specialist vulture facility in Wales.

The remaining birds will either be returned to their owners if they are on loan or moved to new homes found by the team.

CEO of the International Centre for Birds of Prey Jemima Parry-Jones MBE hopes the move will improve its conservation, breeding and training work.

• Jemima Parry-Jones speaks to ITV News

She told ITV News: "So many people have done so much for us and over the years they've been amazing and it's hard to disappoint them and let them down, which is sort of what we're doing - but to keep the ethics and conservation work going."

In a statement, she said: "The impact of Covid-19 closures, plus to a certain degree our location and the age of our infrastructure, and some coming changes in legislation that we do not agree with, has meant the current business model is no longer sustainable in its present form."