Coronavirus: 'Utterly irresponsible' attitude to zoos

"You can't furlough fish" is the reaction of one owner to help given to Wales' 30 licensed zoos since lockdown.

Frankie Hobro said her frustration was when the public recognised the plight of her Anglesey Sea Zoo and fundraised to save it, but the Welsh government failed to offer specific help.

A government spokesman said a "generous package" meant more money was available than if a special scheme was created.

He pointed to eight attractions already having accessed £350,000.

But Ms Hobro said: "The Anglesey Sea Zoo is in a particularly untenable position, with high running costs, staffing costs and the pressure of maintaining ultimate animal welfare, with absolutely no income during closure and currently no promise of when we will be allowed to reopen for our income to return."

Major zoo attractions opened earlier this week in England with reports of "unprecedented" ticket sales, but there is still no indication when this may happen in Wales.

Anglesey Sea Zoo has 40 tanks with marine life such as octopus, lobsters, seahorses, conger eels and jellyfish with running costs of £20,000 a month whether it is open or closed.

Ms Hobro said it was not possible to reduce costs, as the Welsh government suggested, without "cutting corners" and "sacrificing the quality of care".

Money from a special Economic Resilience Fund (ERF) has helped it get back on track after three months of closure, and Ms Hobro described a Development Bank of Wales bounceback loan of £50,000 as a "lifeline".

But she accused the government of "a total failure to appreciate the unworkable challenges we are currently facing on a daily basis".

"We had exciting plans for the Anglesey Sea Zoo in 2020, with several fundamental changes planned across the site and the prospect of an exciting expansion project on the horizon," she added.

"Sadly, as a result of the Covid-19 crisis, instead we have been faced with a fight for survival."

Her views were echoed by Jan Garen of the Wales Ape and Monkey Sanctuary in Abercrave, Powys, who described an "utterly irresponsible" and "frankly insulting" attitude to zoos.

While she was able to access £10,000 from the ERF, Mrs Garen believes there has been a failure to recognise the unique challenges faced by the industry.

"It assumes all businesses are in the same boat. We have no income but our overheads are the same," she said.

"There should have been special funds recognising that we have to stay functioning even though we are closed.

"A cafe or pub, for example, doesn't need to be buying food and drink or pay their staff. It's not the same thing."

The sanctuary has 200 animals to feed and care for.

While two part-time reception staff were furloughed at the start of the pandemic, the other four employees stayed on to look after the animals.

She blasted the Welsh government for sending a letter suggesting cost-cutting or collaboration work, saying mowing lawns was the only work they could stop and the individual zoos had enough on their plates to be able to help each other.

Although the sanctuary lost £30,000 in net sales in April alone, Mrs Garen praised supporters.

More than £7,440 was raised in a raffle for which 100 prizes were donated and people have donated online.

Owners of attractions in north Wales have joined together to help raise funds for the Welsh Mountain Zoo in Colwyn Bay - which has animals including Sumatran Tigers and Snow Leopards.

Denbighshire Leisure is giving free Ninja TAG games - an obstacle course on Rhyl promenade - to everyone making a donation to its official recovery fund.

The zoo's Marcia Azevedo Moreira said: "It is incredible to see another popular attraction in the area putting something together that will help us push our plight further."

A Welsh Government spokesman said: "Zoos and other animal attractions in Wales have been able to access a more generous package of support through our ERF than they would have had through a sector specific scheme and several weeks before England announced their fund on 4 May."

He urged those that had not applied to do so and said ministers looked at the possibility of lifting restrictions during each review - the latest set to be announced on Friday.

The spokesman also pointed out Scotland and Northern Ireland have no specific fund either, and like in Wales, officials are working with zoos to identify key difficulties.