Animal magic

ZSL London Zoo

“Now, more than ever, I think we’ve all come to appreciate the importance of the world that we are sharing with other animals,” says Kathryn England, pictured right, chief operating officer at ZSL London Zoo. “We’ve reconnected with the value of nature.”

ZSL London Zoo reopened to the public on 15 June. On Saturday 4 July, it was able to open its indoor houses. Now people can visit the reptile, bug and butterfly houses, in addition to all the outdoor attractions.

With monthly bills of £600,000 for the animals’ care and food supplies, it was essential that ZSL started welcoming people back on site as soon as safely possible.

“As a charity, we are totally reliant on that income that comes through our gates,” England explains. “It was getting pretty nerve-racking for us with our outgoings – we weren’t prepared to compromise on the welfare of our animals.”

ZSL London Zoo staff were also keen to continue inspiring and reconnecting people with wildlife, and to give them the opportunity to enjoy a family day out – especially following a long period of lockdown – while supporting ZSL’s important science and conservation work. “This is a key moment for us to remind people that we share this planet with lots of amazing creatures,” England adds. “Coming to the zoo means that they can reconnect with all of these incredible animals – seeing a tiger stood in front of you, hearing a lion roar, seeing a gibbon swinging from the trees. You can’t beat that multisensory experience.” To ensure coronavirus-safety,

ZSL London Zoo is operating at a capacity that is significantly lower than usual for the summer months, with three colourful one-way trails and reminders to keep one lion-length apart to ensure social distancing.

“It’s important to us that people can just relax and have a great day out,” says England. “And the feedback so far has been exactly that. The beaming smiles that you can see all around the zoo make it a really lovely place to be.”