Animals

When are zoos reopening as lockdown measures set to ease further?


A gorilla at London Zoo (Picture: PA)

The coronavirus pandemic has led to establishments of all different kinds being closed all over the world, and zoos have not been exhempt.

However, various lockdown measures are slowly being eased in the UK, with garden centres in England having been able to open their doors for weeks, meanwhile from Monday, people will be able to meet in groups of six as long as they are outside and social distancing measures are still observed.

As a result, many people have been wondering if places like zoos – or at least their outdoor areas – will be able to reopen to the public any time soon.

When could zoos reopen?

Unfortunately there’s been no official word as to when zoos might be reopening in the UK.

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A spokesperson from Colchester Zoo previously told the Daily Mirror: ‘We think that being able to re-open in July would be wonderful but this could go on until September or October, we could not last until then, so to survive we will need to approach banks to help us out.’

Earlier this month, the Mailonline reported that London Zoo said it may have to close for good, with cash reserves running out amid the lockdown.

Even though the zoo has furloughed 280 staff and cut salaries of others, it is still costing £2.3 million a month to feed and look after the animals.

Zoo animals are getting lonely without visitors (Picture: REX)

The income from the zoo also supports ZSL’s scientific research institute and global conservation programmes.

Zoological Society of London (ZSL) director general Dominic Jeremy said: ‘In good faith we are having conversations with very generous people who have supported us in the past, and with banks, in order to make sure the future does not remain perilous.

‘But at the moment it’s a very challenging moment for the organisation.’

Zoos the world over have also said their animals are becoming ‘lonely’ without visitors.

Dublin Zoo said animals were ‘wondering what’s happened to everyone’, and Animal care manager Joanne Thomas of Wellington Zoo in New Zealand said meerkats and otters, which are naturally curious animals, were keenly aware that there have been no visitors, while dingos had to be taken to see other animals at the zoo to give them something to do.

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