The government have made a u-turn decision and are expected to be allowing Zoos and Wildlife parks to reopen from next week…

Over the past weeks there has been growing concern from zoos and wildlife parks in England over the uncertainty of when they will be allowed to reopen. A lot of these parks lead the way for animal conservation, some are non-profit and solely rely on donations & entry fees, which given the closure during current pandemic has left them with nearly no income to support them. Chester Zoo in particular has pleaded for help in getting money from ‘adoptions’ for the animals as well as additional donations to be able to survive.

There has been a huge push on social media and in the news to allow these (largely) outdoor facilities to be allowed to reopen as soon as possible, otherwise they may face closure and have a huge impact on the animals lives and wellbeing’s, as well as the large number of staff involved. Thanks to countless petitions and letters to MP’s and via various other methods it has been reported that the government have now changed their decision and that from Monday 15th June the Zoos and Wildlife Parks will be allowed to reopen (subject to social distancing measures and an official ruling). This is the same day as non-essential shops reopening, and the mandatory use of face coverings on public transport.

We are very pleased to hear this news, and I’m sure everyone else is too.

Do you think we will see theme parks such as Drayton Manor, Chessington World of Adventures & Flamingo Land with zoos opening soon, in the same way that Alton Towers and Warwick Castle have reopened their gardens only? (At the time of writing there has been no official announcements from these parks)