As zoo maintenance costs pile up, a zoo director says they may resort to feeding some animals to others. Ticket sales cannot cover the cost as no visitors have arrived due to coronavirus pandemic. However, according to Verena Kaspari, director of the Neumünster Zoo in Neumünster, Germany, this will be their last resort for the zoo to survive.
Panda twin cubs Paule (Meng Yuan) and Pit (Meng Xiang) are seen during their first appearance in their enclosure at the Berlin Zoo in Berlin, Germany January 29, 2020.
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Zoos ask for donations; May laughter animals and feed to others amidst coronavirus pandemic
"We've listed the animals we'll have to slaughter first," said Kaspari in an interview with news site Welt. She also said they still weigh their other options, so as not to take such a cruel act.
Since the COVID-19 outbreak, tourist attractions have been closed, so zoos have been struggling to gather funds to take care of their animals. Without visitors, they do not have the financial means to maintain their facilities.
However, even such extreme measures may not be enough to solve the problem. If this pandemic continues for a few more months, no income from ticket sales would be tragic.
Kaspari reckons that having no visitors throughout Spring could cost the zoo up to €175,000. Penguins and seals require large quantities of fish every day and feeding other large animals can be expensive. "If it comes to it, I'll have to euthanize animals, rather than let them starve," Kaspari said.
Usually, the animal would be moved if a zoo can no longer care for it. However, this is not possible at the moment since all zoos in the country are struggling and borders remain closed.
Also, Neumünster Zoo houses Vitus, the largest polar bear in Germany. Vitus measures over three and a half meters long, so he cannot be kept anywhere else.
Zoos are often busy during Easter, but this past weekend, the attractions remained closed to the public until the coronavirus restrictions are eased or lifted.
Zoos appeal for donations
The country's emergency fund for small businesses does not cover Neumünster, along with many other German zoos. Thus, zoos in Germany have started to appeal for donations from the public. They are also calling for government aid worth €100 million to cover the cost of looking after their animals.
Germany's national zoo association (VdZ) argued in its appeal that zoo maintenance does not stop when visitors stop coming. Such costs include feeding the animals and keeping them at the right temperature,
VdZ Chief Jörg Junhold says that an average zoo that is closed could be losing up to €500,000 a week. Zookeepers also raised concerns that animals may yearn for the usual human attention they are getting with the flocks of visitors in the zoo.
Berlin Zoo's Philine Hachmeister told the DPA news agency in a BBC report that apes, in particular, love to watch people. Hachmeister also says it would be a shame if people would miss seeing their two baby pandas, Meng Xian and Meng Yuan, grow up.
Moreover, zookeepers fear for their well-being. There would be no one to look after their animals If they were to fall ill as well. As of April 13, Germany has 130,694 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 3,261 deaths.
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