‘Our income disappeared overnight’ – wildlife park
Pupils produce rainbow window
PEOPLE passing along Springfield Road in Leek may have seen a large rainbow, above, in the glass stairwell at The Meadows School.
This has been produced by pupils and staff at the school as a tribute to the NHS and key workers.
The Meadows School has been open throughout the lockdown, with a small number of students and staff. They have worked on various creative activities, as well as some formal lessons, but wished to display their ‘Rainbow’ tribute, for anyone passing to look up and spot.
The school also made displays and then decorated a classroom for VE Day.
A MAJOR Staffordshire Moorlands tourist park has launched an appeal for donations to help care and feed their animals.
Peak Wildlife Park in Winkhill is home to more than 150 animals, including Vietnamese sika deer, a species that are extinct in the wild, critically endangered Visayan warty pigs and a number of endangered lemur species.
During these challenging times, it’s essential that the highest levels of animal care to preserve these amazing species is maintained.
The park has now started an online Crowdfunder appeal with a target of £15,000 to support the animals during the closure.
Manager at the park, James Butler, said: “We’re raising funds to survive the Covid-19 pandemic thereby ensuring the care of our animals and enabling future conservation work.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has created an extraordinary set of circumstances for small businesses throughout Britain.
“As a wildlife park, our income comes from visitors coming through our doors each day and enjoying the unique experience our little zoo offers. The last few weeks have been some of the most challenging we have faced, with the park closing its doors to the public on Sunday, March 22. This decision meant our income disappeared overnight.
“Though our doors are closed, work at the park doesn’t stop. Our amazing team are working hard to feed and care for all of the park’s 150 plus animals, but looking after them isn’t cheap.
“The park still has to pay for food, heating, filtration systems, veterinary care and supplements and it is for this reason we need your help. We’re asking for any donations, big or small to help cover these costs, and ensuring that Peak Wildlife Park can continue its mission to conserve endangered species from across the globe.
“It’s not just penguins. I’m sure it won’t come as a surprise to many people, but animals are expensive to keep, their food bills alone can be pretty staggering. Did you know, it costs around £30 per day to feed our penguins, £16 to provide our lemurs with their daily dose of vegetables and £14 to make sure our otters can enjoy their preferred diet of shellfish! These costs add up, and that’s without taking into account all of the specialist veterinary care, heating bills and everything else it takes to keep our amazing animals alive.
“Your support truly means the world to us, so we’d just like to say a massive thank you to all our guests who’ve been on the journey with us over the past five years and helped make the park what it is today – we hope to see you all soon!”
James said that many people had been very supportive and that many had dropped of donations.
He said: “People have been so supportive and many had dropped items off. Morrisons and Sainsbury’s supermarkets in Leek have also been very supportive to us.”
To donate to the upkeep of the animals go to: www.crowdfunder. co.uk/support-peak-wildlifepark-1.