Shocking images reveal the scale of alleged animal abuse at the scandal-hit zoo

However, one former employee said “fighting” and “inbreeding” had become common because “animals were housed in inappropriate social groups”. He added that he had witnessed serious injuries and deaths that “could have been avoided”.

Another staff member claimed: “A peacock flew into the giant otter enclosure and the two giant otters ripped his head off in front of a school group.”

The Captive Animals’ Protection Society asked the local council to revoke South Lakes’ license in 2017 after reports of nearly 500 animal deaths between 2013 and 2016.

The RSPCA also launched an investigation before David Gill, the zoo’s owner, was refused a licence, prompting Cumbria Zoo Company Limited to take over and promise widespread improvements.

“Nothing changed with this new management and the animals suffered a lot,” said one former employee, adding: “I saw staff in tears, I saw staff leaving regularly.”

Another former member of staff said: “The staff were broken at times, completely broken.

“There was yelling at people and belittling people. The morning meeting turned into isolating and humiliating people.”

Cumbria Zoo Company told the BBC it “totally denied and disputed” claims it had ever “engaged in any practice that resulted in the death, injury or ill-treatment of animals”.

The company said: “We do not accept that there is a ‘culture of bullying’ or that staff are overworked.

“We take any allegations of bullying very seriously and when they do come forward they should be fully investigated and dealt with.”