A government inspection of the South Lakes Safari Zoo last year concluded the public was "potentially in danger".
The Defra appointed visit in mid-November found a host of health and safety breaches, which have just been published in a report.
Animal mortality rates were found to be high at 10%; and camels, wildebeest and zebra were being kept apart with bales and pallets held together by twine.
The inspectors said zoo owner and licencee holder David Gill was using out-of-date practices that placed staff and people potentially in danger.
Over Christmas and New Year the attraction announced it would come under the control of a charitable trust which is making a host of changes expected to be finished in time for Easter.