Management at Dublin Zoo says 2020 has ended on a hopeful note, after a challenging year.
A campaign to save the zoo has raised over €2.7m after it announced it was struggling to keep going during Covid-19 restrictions.
It costs €500,000 per month to run the zoo, even while it was closed to visitors.
Hope
Management say the funds raised have given the zoo a vital lifeline, and hope for 2021: "In just 12 hours on November 18th people from Ireland and abroad came together to raise €1m, and to date contributions stand at over €2.7 million. Everyone at Dublin Zoo is sincerely grateful and cannot thank the public enough for their generosity. While not home and dry just yet, the response to date has given us a vital lifeline and most importantly hope for 2021."
Despite the effects of Covid-19, life went on at Dublin Zoo with new arrivals among some of the most vulnerable species in the wild, including an energetic male southern white rhinoceros calf, two adorable Humboldt penguin chicks, a beautiful Siamang gibbon and most recently, a tiny Goeldi’s monkey.
Challenging
Dr Christoph Schwitzer, Director at Dublin Zoo, said: "It has of course been an incredibly challenging year for Dublin Zoo, as it has for everyone else in Ireland. The entire team at Dublin Zoo has done exemplary work throughout the year to ensure that our high standard of animal care never dropped, and to minimise disruption to the animals’ routines.
"It is always wonderful to see new-borns at Dublin Zoo, and in a year often short of positive news stories this was especially the case.
"The financial difficulties caused by Covid-19 led us to establish the Save Dublin Zoo campaign in November to raise much needed funds to care for the animals here. We couldn’t have predicted the strength of response we received from the Irish public, and we are truly grateful to everyone who has contributed to the campaign to date.
"The money raised has allowed us to look to 2021 with renewed optimism, hopeful that restrictions will lift next year and allow us to welcome stronger visitor numbers once again."
