Two of the South West’s best known zoos are in danger of closing and have warned all staff they are at risk of redundancy.
Paignton Zoo, in Devon, and Newquay Zoo, in Cornwall, are in danger after income went through the floor during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.
Wild Planet Trust, which operates both zoos, has already said it will permanently close its Living Coasts waterfront zoo, in Torquay, citing lost income due to lockdown.
The trust said if the zoos in Paignton and Newquay don’t receive sufficient visitors now they area allowed to reopen, it will have to consider the possibility of a permanent closure for either or both of them.
In a statement, a spokesman for the Wild Planet Trust said: “We have just placed our entire staff, at all three sites, at risk of redundancy as we have to reduce our operating costs.
"If we do not also get sufficient visitor numbers after we reopen then both our other sites, Newquay Zoo and Paignton Zoo, are also at risk of permanent closure.”
Announcing the end of the road for the Living Coasts aviary attraction the trust said falling visitor numbers and the forced closure of zoos due to Covid-19 meant it had to look at its cost base and make efficiencies.
“After nearly 20 years of operation the site also needed substantial maintenance that the trust is no longer in a position to afford,” the trust said.
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“The next stage is to find homes for the animals. Living Coasts is part of a world-wide network of zoos and aquariums and we will be looking for homes for the animals within them once movement restrictions have been lifted.
“Most of the animals kept at Living Coasts are marine species that will need specialist facilities. Living Coast is confident that good new homes for the animals will be found, but at present it is unclear how long this process may take.
“All 44 staff at Living Coasts have been placed at risk of redundancy. This will be considered within the context of the wider restructuring of the Trust’s zoos, and potential redundancies at the other sites (Paignton Zoo and Newquay Zoo).
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“Wild Planet Trust would like to thank the many people who have visited and supported Living Coasts over the years, and the many businesses, and grant giving trusts which have support our vital conservation work.”
The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) said the coronavirus pandemic has been mean “income has stopped overnight” while, unlike other businesses in the leisure industry, costs remained high as they had to ensure the welfare of the animals.
Dr Madelon Willemsen, chief executive of BIAZA, said: “The Coronavirus itself and the uncertainty of when it will be possible for zoos and aquariums to open their gates again for visitors make this an extraordinary challenge for our sector.
“As the trade association for good zoos and aquariums, BIAZA is working to raise our collective voice and rally the expertise of our membership. We will collaborate with other sectors, working closely with government, so that the sector can pull through this crisis.”