The animal collection included chimpanzees, lar gibbons, African lions, mandrills, flamingoes, giant tortoises, parrots, black-and-white ruffed lemurs, reptiles, owls and pheasants.

Some groups claimed that the contract was not renewed for the zoo due to animal rights campaigners and protests creating bad publicity.

Due to campaigning by the Captive Animals Protection Society an application was withdrawn to build new exhibits at the falconry site.

After years of neglect, the site reopened in August 2010 as Battlefield Live Southport,[5] an outdoor combat game using guns that fire infra-red beams.

Many of the original buildings and cages have been retained and the area has been redeveloped as a Battlefield Arena for players to play the game within.