The Challenges of Covid-19 for Twycross Zoo

By Sharon Redrobe OBE, CEO - Twycross Zoo
 
Twycross Zoo East Midland Zoological Society is a science and education charity operating a zoo across a 100-acre site in Leicestershire. We are the only zoo in the UK with all four great apes and are the largest specialist primate conservation centre in the world.
We would normally be capable of welcoming up to 10,000 visitors in a day but are restricted to 4,000 visitors per day as part of Covid measures. We are currently in our third lockdown, and so our gates once again are closed.
Whilst we have furloughed some of our staff we still need to care for our animals. The costs of feeding 500 animals - and providing the highest level of care - is considerable. We need to secure £600,000 per month just to keep the zoo running which is a real challenge as visitor numbers and therefore income have ceased.
 

 
2019 for Twycross Zoo was our best year in 57 years of our existence. In 2020 due to two lockdown closures and restrictions...