Dublin Zoo has warned that it may have to close permanently due to the impact of the pandemic unless it can raise urgent funds. The zoo, which first opened its gates in 1830, has been closed to the public because of coronavirus restrictions, but must still meet the cost of feeding and upkeep of the animals, which runs to about €500,000 a month.
The zoo has launched ‘Save Dublin Zoo’ fundraising campaign, appealing to the Irish public for help. Dublin Zoo is a not-for-profit organisation, which does not receive statutory funding. Its revenue streams, in the form of gate receipts and onsite sales, have all but dried up due to Covid-19 and to date the zoo has lost €8.2m in possible revenue.
Launching the campaign, director Dr Christoph Schwitzer, aid: “We’re in serious financial difficulty because of Covid-19 and are launching this campaign to raise much needed funds to help care for the zoo’s animals. We understand this is a challenging time for everyone, so we are asking people to only give what they can, every donation counts.”
“We have relied on our emergency cash reserves to remain open when allowed, but even then, visitor number restrictions due to social distancing have made it near impossible to generate enough revenue to just break even. Without financial support, we are facing an uncertain future and may have to close,” Dr Schwitzer added in a statement.
Dublin Zoo’s Emma Kiernan (pictured) was named as the Marketer of the Year (MotY) last year for her work in helping develop Ireland’s top family attraction and not-for-profit organisation which normally welcomes over 1.2 million visitors a year. As the person responsible for driving revenue, she rolled out the Wild Lights winter nights’ experience.
Marketer of The Year™ is organised by Marketing.ie magazine and sponsored by Alternatives.
To help Dublin Zoo survive, donate at https://www.dublinzoo.ie/save-dublin-zoo/
