Sixteen animal enclosures at Pakawi Park in Olmen, Antwerp province, will be closed from 15 November after Flemish Animal Welfare Minister Ben Weyts cited persistent safety and hygiene failings.
The measure affects about 150 animals, whose enclosures must no longer be visible or accessible to visitors.
Weyts clarified that the whole zoo would not be shut, but that action was being taken against the enclosures judged to be unsafe. His decision followed a long list of structural breaches identified by inspectors.
Inspection services also found poor hygiene and shortcomings in food provision.
The park has until 15 November to take action and will remain open to visitors in the meantime.
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Five enclosures have been suspended rather than permanently stripped of approval. They include those housing a tiger, a cheetah, a palm-nut vulture, vipers and a large aviary containing around 100 birds.
These enclosures could reopen in the medium term if all defects are permanently remedied.
Approval for 11 other enclosures has been fully withdrawn. They include areas housing savannah animals such as giraffes and an elephant, as well as panthers, servals, a brown bear, a hyena, a crocodile and meerkats.
According to the minister, the problems in those cases are so serious and persistent that the animals concerned will need to be moved elsewhere.
A full withdrawal of the zoo’s operating approval had already been under consideration in March, according to Belgian newspapers including Gazet van Antwerpen, Het Nieuwsblad and Het Belang van Limburg.
