The Government will intervene to support Dublin Zoo and Fota Wildlife Park in Co Cork as they struggle financially during the pandemic, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has told the Dáil.
The news comes after Dublin Zoo today announced the launch of the ‘Save Dublin Zoo’ fundraising campaign, appealing to the Irish public for help, as financial losses caused by ongoing Covid-19 restrictions continue to mount.
The campaign has been launched to raise vital funds to help cover the cost of animal care, which alone totals €500,000 each month, as emergency cash reserves begin to run out.
Without financial support, Dublin Zoo is concerned it may have to make the difficult decision to close its gates to the public.
Zookeeper Hannah Wilson told Colm & Lucy that the elephants are one of the Zoo’s most popular animal and it cost €75 euro a day to feed just 1 of the 9 elephants.
Director of Dublin Zoo, Dr Christoph Schwitzer said: “We are in serious financial difficulty because of Covid-19 and are launching the Save Dublin Zoo campaign to raise much needed funds to help care for the animals here at the Zoo.”
“We understand this is a challenging time for everyone, so we are asking people to only give what they can – every donation counts no matter the size.”
“We have relied on our emergency cash reserves to remain open when allowed, but even then, visitor number restrictions due to social distancing have made it near impossible to generate enough revenue to just break even.”
“Without financial support, we are facing an uncertain future and may have to close.”
Donations can be made today at www.DublinZoo.ie
