Chester Zoo has said it is in a "perilous" position after Covid-enforced closures left a £5.5m "scar".
The zoo said on Wednesday it is on a "very long and slow road" to recovery, but has called for urgent Government help due to not being able to access the £100m Zoo Animals Support Fund.
Three Cheshire West and Chester councillors have now called for "renewed momentum" in the fight to save the zoo, which was forced to shut for three months due to the coronavirus lockdown.
Last month, the zoo announced it was cutting 45 jobs as it battled "by far the worst crisis" it has ever faced.
Jamie Christon, chief operating officer at the zoo, said: "We are on the very long and slow road to recovery but the fact remains that we are still in a highly perilous position. The zoo and its mission to prevent extinction remains at risk.
“The Government has said it is continuing to talk to large zoos like us to explore ways of supporting us and our vital efforts to prevent extinction. But still there is nothing on the table.
"After significant time spent in lengthy, and what have been seemingly very positive discussions with Government representatives for several months, this is extremely disappointing for us.
"As a leading conservation and education charity of global importance, our aims are broadly aligned with the Government’s own environmental objectives. So why aren’t they supporting us?”
Officials say the attraction has been stripped of 97% of its income while still having to meet "huge" outgoing costs to ensure the care of 35,000 animals throughout closure, with its conservationists saying a £5.5m "scar" has been left.
Councillors Simon Eardley, Jill Houlbrook and Matt Bryan have now said "renewed momentum" is needed in the fight to save the zoo, adding that doing so is "absolutely essential" in its aim to make a "remarkable economic, cultural and charitable impact".
Mr Christon said: "I would like to thank [the councillors] for their continued, unwavering support in the fight to save our zoo.
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"They, of course, recognise that we simply cannot allow the collapse of one of the regions’ most important economic and cultural assets and have together promised to do all they can to help us to try and secure the financial help from the Government that large charity zoos like ours so desperately need right now."
Like most attractions across the country, Chester Zoo had to shut its doors to visitors for three months during the crisis - taking away its main source of income.
A campaign called 'Save Our Zoo' was launched, and it raised £2.4m in the space of a week. It opened to the public in June.
