Place:

Glasgow Zoo

For much of its recent history Glasgow Zoo has been facing predictions of its imminent closure. The latest in the past few days were prompted by allegations of animals suffering because of

poor conditions.

But it was not always such a sad story. When it opened more than half a century ago at Calderpark, on the south-east outskirts of the city, it was an instant hit, attracting tens of thousands of visitors from all over west-

central Scotland.

Once one of Scotland's top visitor attractions, it has deteriorated rapidly and its difficulties were exacerbated by its enforced closure for six weeks during last year's foot-and- mouth epidemic.

Ten years ago the zoo was welcoming 150,000 visitors through the gates every year, but that was when they could boast such attractions as elephants and polar bears. It has also been a victim of changing public tastes and growing disapproval of the idea of caged animals kept for entertainment.

Despite the best efforts of its charismatic director, Richard O'Grady, who was the zoo's public face for almost 30 years, the decline has been steady. When he died suddenly in February last year, the zoo lost its most vocal champion. It only just survived a closure threat last April when its licence came up for renewal.

Run by the Zoological Society of Glasgow and the West of Scotland, the zoo is understood to have debts of more than (pounds) 2m. Glasgow City Council withdrew an annual subsidy of more than (pounds) 130,000 in 2000.

According to society members, O'Grady kept the zoo running on a ''peanut'' budget by ''sheer determination and force of personality''.

The zoo has been in talks with a major builder about selling off 26 acres for private housing development. Miller Homes is seeking planning consent for the project, but even if it leads to a substantial cash injection, a major question mark remains as to whether it will be enough to sustain a long-term future for the zoo.

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