Banham Zoo and Africa Alive boss alleges years of harassment

Claudia Roberts announced her resignation as CEO of the charity which runs Banham Zoo and Africa Alive yesterday, less than a week after around 10pc of its 200 staff were made redundant.

The Zoological Society of East Anglia (ZSEA) said her departure was partly down to "widespread abuse" she had received, but gave no further detail.

But in an explosive letter which she sent out to staff yesterday outlining her decision, Ms Roberts said she had been the victim of "online harassment and false accusations", stretching back years.

The CEO of Zoological Society of East Anglia (ZSEA) Claudia Roberts said that “relentless” cost increases had led to the job cuts. (Image: Newsquest) (Image: Newsquest)

She also claimed she had been targeted by anonymous phone, text, email and social media messages in recent days, as news of the redundancies emerged.

She urged staff to resist getting "embroiled" in increasingly acrimonious online discussions about the running of the zoos - based near Attleborough and Lowestoft - following vitriolic criticism on forums like Facebook.

It follows a period of turmoil at the organisation, which has faced massive financial challenges in the wake of the pandemic, avian flu, soaring energy costs inflation and Brexit, which has made it harder to bring in foreign species.

In response, Ms Roberts, who has been in the job for around four years, has spearheaded a controversial multi-million pound, 10 year project to increase the focus at Banham Zoo - the larger of the two sites - on wildlife from the British Isles.

Plans for Banham Zoo - Picture: Tate and Co Architects (Image: Tate and Co Architects) (Image: Tate and Co Architects) (Image: Tate and Co Architects)

Critics have claimed that the changes risk undermining the attraction's traditional appeal. But supporters say they are vital for the long term future of the organisation.

Arguments over the zoos have raged online, with many members of the public voicing their criticism.

Their worries have been echoed by a number of current and former employees, who are also unhappy about some of the changes and the way the organisation has been run.

Some of them have been in contact with this newspaper to say the plans demonstrated what they describe as a “whirlwind” approach to managing the venue.

Up to 20 staff are being cut at Banham Zoo and sister site, Africa Alive (Image: Newsquest) (Image: Newsquest)

One anonymous staff member, who lost their job at Banham Zoo last week, said: “For the past four years the culture has been getting worse and worse, with people scared to criticise the running of things.

“It’s felt all over the place and like there’s no clear direction - to see it end like this is heartbreaking because so many people are losing their jobs right before Christmas.”

Another former staff member claimed a “toxic culture” had left staff feeling “belittled and broken”.

More than 70 people lost their jobs across the two parks in 2020, around a third of the attractions’ total workforce. A further 20 redundancies were announced last week.

The former employee said: “They say the [2020] redundancies were down to finances, but within three months of making them more new staff were brought in and thousands were being spent on rebranding the zoo."

Up to 20 staff are being cut at Banham Zoo and sister site, Africa Alive (Image: Newsquest) (Image: Newsquest)

In her letter to staff seen by this newspaper, Ms Roberts, who was paid between £80,000 and £90,000, wrote: “In a modern world where we share thoughts freely on a multitude of platforms, there is also a danger that social media is now a method to amplify issues, share and vent our frustrations and thoughts, creating campaigns of harassment, and in the case of ZSEA, often at the detriment of our charity or individuals. 

“I myself am in receipt of multiple anonymous messages by phone, text, email and through social channels over the last week. 

“I have received online harassment and false accusations over the last few years which are not true and indeed these have a profound impact on my own mental health and family relationships."

She added: "I ask everyone to come together with kindness and positivity.

"Support each other and please don’t become embroiled in the social media at the detriment of all your hard work and contribution.

"We remain a customer facing organisation, so if you have unanswered questions, please raise these with your managers or the executive team so you can feel comfortable answering these.

"ZSEA needs to come together now, more than ever, find new ways of working together, trust each other, communicate better with each other, and help together to drive positivity. Everyone needs to ensure this wonderful charity can grow and flourish.”

Despite the claims, the ZSEA board of trustees have continued to back Ms Roberts.

In an email sent to staff and press Tuesday morning, chairman Gerard Smith said: “In the interest of curtailing any rumours and speculation, the Board of Trustees did not ask Claudia to resign, and we had full faith in her leadership of the charity. 

“However, we understand her decision and wish her well with her future endeavours.”

A spokesperson for the ZSEA added: "We pride ourselves on the charity being an inclusive and enjoyable place to work where team members are supported in our collective mission to connect visitors with nature and to help to sustain our planet with our conservation efforts.

"We have processes in place to report any concerns.

"We rebranded in 2022 to reflect our wider purpose of accelerating the preservation of wild and native species for a sustainable future and to better position ourselves as a dynamic conservation education charity."