London Zoo warns it ‘desperately’ needs more cash as Government’s £100million fund is ‘impossible’ to access

Coronavirus
Keepers feed the meerkats as they remain on site to care for the animals
PA
11 March 2021

London Zoo has warned it is facing a fight for survival because it is “impossible” for it to access any of the £100million the Government has set aside to help wildlife parks.

Director General of the Zoological Society of London Dominic Jermey said the criteria attached to national funding “render it impossible for the larger UKzoos to access” and claimed £93million of this money “lies undistributed and unspent”.

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) has about 20,000 animals across its main zoo in Regent’s Park and at Whipsnade in Bedfordshire.

The charity has missed out on about £20million of income during the coronaviruspandemic and it is facing another Easter Bank Holiday under lockdown.

Mr Jermey warned it will have to “lay off employees, apply for expensive commercial loans and ask for public donations” to survive unless more help is given.

He added extra money was needed “desperately to support the welfare of the species we hold and to continue with our global conservation work”.

Unlike other businesses which have incurred major financial losses during the pandemic, wildlife centres have been unable to furlough staff who look after the animals.

Last year the Government opened the Zoo Animal Fund, designed to provide funding for zoos and aquariums which needed help caring for their animals following a drop in income.

But to be eligible, organisations had to reduce costs and attempt to generate income in other ways, including applying for Covid business support schemes or commercial or philanthropic funding. Organisations have to also be three months from completely running out of money, an option that London Zoo said would be unsafe considering the number of animals it looks after.

Coronavirus - Wed Jun 10, 2020
Social distancing markers around the lion enclosure at ZSL London Zoo
PA

In a letter to Secretary of State for the Environment George Eustice, ZSL along with representatives from Bristol Zoological Society, Chester Zoo, Marwell Wildlife, Twycross Zoo, and Wild Planet Trust begged the Government to relax the criteria.

“Britain’s charity zoos are important employers, are institutions supporting the visitor economy and are part of the country’s effort to conserve wildlife and safeguard our natural world for the future,” the letter states.

“The Government has supported the arts sector with the Cultural Recovery Fund, enabling museums, theatres as cultural institutions to be compensated for losses made due to Covid.

“By contrast, the Zoo Animal Fund provides no such support, focusing as it does solely on welfare of animals rather than looking holistically at supporting zoo recovery. This is a manifestly unequal approach.”

London Zoo plans to reopen its doors in line with Government guidelines on April 12.

A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesman said the Government had always been clear that grants would be awarded to help zoos and aquariums pay for animal welfare related costs and essential maintenance, and not to subsidise other activities undertaken by zoos.

The department added that it had made it easier for zoos to apply and recently relaxed requirements for maintenance claims.

A spokesman said: “We understand the challenges zoos and aquariums have been facing due to the coronavirus pandemic, which is why we set up the Zoo Animals Fund. The fund is a safety net, in addition to the other government support available, to ensure that animals can continue to be cared for in the event that a zoo enters severe financial difficulties.

“We have now extended the fund for a further three months until the end of June and we would encourage any zoos and aquariums in need and eligible for funding to apply.”

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