Martin swings in to give Zoo the bear necessities
MICHEÁL Martin is ready to pony up to get Dublin Zoo out of the snake pit – after the coronavirus pandemic pushed i t towards i nevitable bankruptcy, he said yesterday.
The zoo, still one of the capital’s most popular sites for visitors, has warned it will have to close its gates for good if it cannot find a way to plug an almost €10million deficit.
A fundraising appeal launched yesterday had already raised €1million last night for the Phoenix Park attraction – but the grim news is, this will only keep the animals fed and healthy for one more month. So the Government has now confirmed it will step in to keep the zoo afloat.
The Taoiseach told the Dáil: ‘The
Government does not want Dublin Zoo to close and we will do everything we possibly can to ensure Dublin Zoo stays open. In my view, given the extraordinary circumstances of a global pandemic, a once in 100- year event, t he Government has to intervene here. The Government has to work with Dublin Zoo to ensure it’s available for generations to come.’
While the zoo does not ordinarily receive capital funding, an exception is being made in the context of the global pandemic.
Junior Heritage Minister Malcolm Noonan said he is considering short-term options to give the required funding to both Dublin Zoo and Fota Wildlife Park. He tweeted: ‘ The outflow of public goodwill in terms of donations is testament to the high regard that these places have in our public consciousness. The loss of Dublin or Fota is unthinkable.’
Dublin Zoo is one of the most popular tourism attractions in the country. It has lost millions in admissions fees in a matter of months after it was forced to close during the pandemic.
However, it is still spending around €500,000 every month on feeding and caring for its animals.
Launching t he f undraising campaign earlier yesterday, zoo director Christoph Schwitzer said it faces an estimated loss of €8.2million in revenue so far this year.
‘You can’t furlough an elephant, you can’t switch off a zoo at night when you go home. Our animals need and deserve 24/7 care and we provide the highest standards of animal care and welfare possible,’ he told Morning Ireland.
Zookeeper Helen Clarke Bennett, a team leader on the African Plains, said she would be devastated if the zoo locked its gates for good.
She said she had worked there f ull- time since 1987, but had virtually grown up at the zoo, driving a pony and cart around it for a part-time job while she was still at school. She said it would be heart-breaking to see the zoo’s 400 animals rehomed to other zoos around the world.
‘I think there’s a lot of positive support for the zoo out there. People think a lot of it.
‘I just hope it is enough. I know these are difficult times for people, and that many people have lost their jobs,’ she said.
€1million donated online already