The five wolves \u2013 Odin, Nuna, Minimus, Tiberius, and Maximus \u2013 were euthanised following a sudden and unexpected surge in violence within the pack. <\/p>\n
The park had kept wolves for several years to educate visitors, but director general Paul Whitfield said this practice would now be reviewed.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cA few weeks ago, the level of aggression within the pack really exploded, completely unexpectedly. It went from a harmonious pack, to animals that were just fighting each other and causing each other quite serious harm. It was really distressing for everyone to see it, and for the animals.:<\/p>\n
He added that \u201cif nothing was done to intervene, (the wolves would) eventually kill each other, which was a really horrible and worrying situation\u201d, <\/p>\n
After three wolves sustained severe injuries, the park consulted external experts before concluding that euthanasia was \u201cthe only thing\u201d it could do.<\/p>\n
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There were fears that the wolves would kill each other (Wildwood Trust\/PA Wire)<\/p>\n
Mr Whitfield said: \u201cBecause the pack had broken down to the point it had, if we were to euthanise those (three) animals and then leave the other (two), those (two) would just continue to fight in the same way.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was just an awful situation to be in. At that point, the decision was taken that the only humane thing to do would be to euthanise all five of them at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was heartbreaking, to be honest. It was absolutely the last thing that anyone wanted to do,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The incident has promoted some concern among animal welfare organisations that campaign against keeping animals in captivity.<\/p>\n
In response, Mr Whitfield said: \u201cThe truth is, they\u2019re not an easy animal to keep in captivity. They are a complex social group and if people are going to keep them, they really need to understand that and talk to experts about that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say they should never be kept in captivity, but I think a lot of thought needs to go into whether they should be in any case.\u201d<\/p>\n
As to whether the benefits of keeping wolves in captivity outweigh the risks, Mr Whitfield said: \u201cThat\u2019s exactly what we\u2019re going to review. That\u2019s been our position in the past.<\/p>\n
\u201cUntil this event, we\u2019ve been very good at managing wolves successfully and they\u2019ve been a really important part of the way we\u2019ve been able to educate people.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut given that this has happened, I think that we need to review that\u2026 I think it\u2019s only right that we review that after something like this has happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cWe didn\u2019t want at all to cover this up or hide what has happened.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an awful situation and we wanted to be very frank about what had happened\u2026 we\u2019ve got nothing to hide, we can understand that people are upset, we\u2019re all deeply upset here.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no upside for us in this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard Morley, director of the Wolves and Humans Foundation, said that while the incident raises such questions, captive wolves \u201ccontribute significantly\u201d to education, and support conservation of the species in the wild.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cIf we hope to have wolves back in the UK one day, it is important that people can see them in the flesh and learn more about them, particularly at places like Wildwood, which has an excellent record in supporting conservation and reintroduction of native species.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Chris Lewis, captivity research and policy manager at Born Free, said it is \u201calmost impossible\u201d to maintain the \u201ccomplex and hierarchical\u201d social groups of species such as wolves in captivity, which have \u201cnowhere to escape\u201d from conflict.<\/p>\n
Mr Lewis said: \u201cIt is yet more evidence as to why species with complex social structures should never be kept in captivity for the sake of public entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n