Twycross Zoo has launched an appeal for donations and is calling on help from its loyal communities to raise funds to celebrate its 57 year past and protect its future.
Welcoming over 30 million visitors since the zoo opened in 1963, Twycross Zoo’s history began with its cheeky Chimpanzees and since then has been recognised internationally as a world primate centre.
The Easter holiday weekend usually kicks off a bumper three months where the zoo captures up to 60 percent of its annual income. The school holidays are always crucial income periods for the zoo, but with no visitors for the foreseeable future Twycross Zoo needs its supporters help more than ever.
Currently Twycross Zoo has been closed for the longest period in its history due to the Covid-19 crisis. Despite furloughing 50 percent of its staff and retaining essential keyworkers including zookeepers and vets from its near 200 strong work force, it still costs over £650,000 a month to keep Twycross Zoo running. With the gates now closed, the primary income has stopped, yet the zoo needs to continue to operate and ensure the animals receive the same high standard of care.
The conservation charity is now appealing to the public to help it continue its vital work and ensure the positive impact Twycross Zoo has on the conservation world is not restricted in the future.
Twycross Zoo’s CEO, Dr Sharon Redrobe OBE, said “As a charity we are experiencing uncertain times and we have never needed our visitors, supporters and our wider zoo community to come together more than we do today.
“For over 500 animals and over half of our staff, our normal routine continues, despite the gates being closed to visitors. Whether the visitors come or not the excellent work and care provided by our keepers and vets continues. In times of crisis like this our charity work to protect and provide care to many critically endangered animals is as critical now as ever.
“With visitors gone for the foreseeable future so has the primary source of income for our zoo, but the cost of running the zoo remains. It still costs us over £650,000 a month, so we are putting a call out for all to support us through fundraising or donations. Every penny makes a difference.”
To donate or fundraise visit Twycross Zoo’s website at www.twycrosszoo.org/donate/
By making a donation via the zoo’s website, becoming a Twycross Zoo Member or getting involved in fundraising from home, donations could contribute to:
· £5 could buy hay for its beautiful zebras
· £50 could buy a weeks’ worth of food for its flock of lovely lorikeets
· £100 could buy a week of fish for its colony of hungry penguins
· £500 could feed its critically-endangered Sumatran tigers for a month
· £5,000 could provide full care for its troop of chimpanzees for a month
· £25,000 could buy all the food needed to feed all of its 500 animals for a month