Coronavirus: Zoo running out of money to look after animals
Dartmoor Zoo said that it is dependent on money from visitors to keep endangered animals alive, and was quickly running out of it.
Sunday 26 April 2020 20:46, UK
A zoo in Devon says it has just two and a half weeks of money left before it could be forced to close for good.
Dartmoor Zoo says it needs £11,500 a week to keep looking after the 250 animals on site and is appealing for the public's help.
Ben Mee took over the zoo in 2006. During feeding time for two of the zoo's Siberian tigers he told Sky News: "We're a seasonal charity - absolutely dependent on income through the holiday period to keep endangered animals alive."
He added: "We need funds from people through the door in order to pay for his food, his vet bills and for the keepers who look after him."
According to the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), 40% of zoos are now registered charities like Dartmoor.
The lockdown has meant many zoos up and down the country are struggling, with running costs remaining high.
Dartmoor Zoo has furloughed around two thirds of its staff, but 14 are kept on to feed the animals.
Mr Mee says they have so far been unable to claim £100,000 of business interruption money through their insurance company.
Deputy chief executive Coral Jonas has worked at the zoo for eight years. Her passion for the job and animals is clear, but she admitted the zoo could have to close if no more money became available.
She said: "We'd have to look for homes for these guys and hopefully we'd find suitable homes for them which is not easy considering the animals we've got.
"The worst case scenario is we'd have to look at euthanasia which absolutely cannot happen as far as we're concerned, and we'll work very hard not to be the end result."
With traditional fundraising events not possible, they have launched an emergency appeal to raise money.
Eleven-year-old Joshua White heard about the zoo's problems, and is now climbing the equivalent of Mount Everest up his stairs at home to raise money.
He said: "We love animals, I've always loved animals all my life... I like all the powers it can do...it's like animals have superpowers, so I really wanted to help save the animals and a lot of people do too. So I wanted to do it."
Joshua says he has completed around 1,000 of 3,400 steps so far.
The zoo became famous following the release of the 2011 Matt Damon film We Bought A Zoo, which was based on Ben's story.
- Dartmoor Zoo says following the Sky News report, nearly one months running costs came in overnight. Around £40,000 was donated, which will go towards food, vet bills and care of the animals.