Animal Aid Takes Action Against Illegal Reindeer Zoo
A reindeer farm is threatening to kill its animals if the government doesn’t change the law to save them less than £3,000 in licensing fees
You may have seen recent news stories about the reindeer farm in Somerset that is threatening to kill the animals in its care if the law is not changed to allow them to sell access to the animals. Somerset Reindeer Ranch has been correctly told by Somerset Council that their attraction should be subject to a zoo licence. Reindeer are legally classified as wild animals in the UK, and sites that display wild animals to the public need to be licenced under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981.
Two of Somerset Reindeer Ranch’s young reindeer were monitored by Animal Aid whilst on display in Wincanton on 27 November 2025
Somerset Reindeer Ranch opened 14 years ago and every year it has opened to the public for more than six days it has been trading illegally. Only recently has the local authority identified the illegality of the attraction and asked them to apply for the appropriate licence. The council has offered incredible leniency to the zoo, choosing not to punish the illegal operation and allowing it to continue to trade without a licence over the festive period. Despite this, its operator, Sarah Sutton, has started a petition calling for a change in the law that would allow her to avoid paying for a zoo licence.
The change in law that Sutton is demanding would leave reindeer, an already widely exploited species that she claims to care about, even more vulnerable to abuse. A zoo licence application with Somerset Council costs £2,747.00, an amount of money that Somerset Reindeer Ranch has certainly far exceeded in profits from exhibiting reindeer over the 14 years it has been in operation (its most recent accounts reported £34,668 net assets). Most shockingly, Sutton has told the media that she may be ‘forced to euthanise’ her herd rather than find the money to comply with a law that has been in place for over 3 decades.
Should Sutton wish to close her business, the option of rehoming the herd is very realistic. This is something she knows very well having rehomed a reindeer named George on the 5th of December this year to another company that provides reindeer for hire. It is unknown for what price George was sold, but his transportation between Somerset Reindeer Ranch and the new location took place whilst he was shedding the velvet on his antlers – an act which also contravenes UK laws; the Welfare of Animals during Transport Order 1992 and the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Our investigators met George on display just three days after he was moved, visibly in discomfort from his antlers. Animal Aid has reported these breaches to Somerset Council and New Forest Council who licence the business George has been moved to.
George was witnessed by Animal Aid investigators on display at an event just three days after Somerset Reindeer Ranch transferred him to another business.
The recent press surrounding Somerset Reindeer Ranch is not the first time that they have come to our attention. They regularly supply reindeer to events in the run up to Christmas as part of their licensed animal exhibits. However, a licence does not mean that the reindeer are happy, healthy, and safe. This year we have seen reindeer displayed by Somerset Reindeer Ranch on display for hours in a busy town centre, allowed to be pawed and pulled on by the public, and forcibly held in place with rope when trying to retreat to their trailer. These animal displays are abuse in every instance, regardless of licence.
In the course of our investigation, Animal Aid witnessed multiple instances of public reaching for, grabbing at, and pulling on the reindeers’ antlers and ears.
Somerset Reindeer Ranch has been breaking the law on animal welfare in the UK for a long time. Its operators are not innocent farmers who are simply trying to bring Christmas cheer – they are exploiters of reindeer who profit from displaying live animals as though they are props and decorations. They also offer a deeply troubling ‘fox fascination experience’ which would be subject to zoo licensing as well, although have not yet commented on whether or not they would also kill any foxes in their care rather than comply with the law.
Animal Aid is one of 35 animal protection groups and experts that has signed a joint letter urging events not to display live reindeer at Christmas due to the demonstrable distress this causes them. The practice of exhibiting animals for entertainment must come to a complete end. We urge everyone to boycott live animal displays, report any you hear of to us, and we urge councils to enforce the few laws that offer protections to animals trapped in exploitative industries.
