Campaign to save Chester Zoo raises monthly target of £1.6m in just over 24 hours

In case you missed the news, the government has ordered Chester Zoo to stay closed indefinitely, throwing the future of the much-loved zoo into doubt.

To help save the zoo from closure, a fundraising campaign was launched and as we reported yesterday it had raised more than £800,000 in less than a day.

Things haven’t slowed down either, and today we’re happy to report that the Save Our Zoo campaign has raised its monthly target of £1.6m in just over 24 hours – at the time of writing, the total stands at £1,651,254.

Chester Zoo

Chester Zoo is the UK’s biggest and most popular charity zoo that provides conservation to many endangered species.

Throughout lockdown, the zoo has taken to social media to provide virtual days around the zoo. The virtual days lasted for hours at a time and included an array of animals, educational pieces and the chance to watch feedings.

The zoo took to its Facebook again this week, but this time with a message titled ‘Save Our Zoo’.

The post revealed that the staff had received the devastating news that they would have to remain closed despite putting safety measures in place and ensuring they are COVID secure.

The statement says: “We’ve tried to stay positive during this pandemic, we’ve planned for our opening, we’ve cut no corners in terms of care for our animals and commitment to our conservation work, we’ve looked forward to welcoming You back soon.

“But we have now received the devastating news that the government has ordered us to ‘stay closed indefinitely’ despite being ‘COVID secure’ and able to safely manage numbers and social distancing.

“While other ticketed gardens open this week our 128 acres must stay closed. This has thrown the future of the zoo into doubt.”

Chester Zoo

The zoo recently released pictures of the new safety measures it had put in place, hoping it would be able to reopen the doors in July.

The statement addresses the issue of the public ‘piling onto’ beauty spots where there is ‘no way of controlling numbers’, stating that the zoo is able to guarantee people keep socially distanced and can easily control numbers.

The charity now needs to raise £1.6m a month to save it.

Chester Zoo

In an update yesterday, council environmental health officers have given Chester Zoo the green light to reopen with safeguards in place, now the zoo just needs the government to grant permission.

Cheshire West and Chester Council leader Cllr Louise Gittins said in a statement: “The council’s environmental health officers have been involved in Chester Zoo’s preparations for a safe opening and we are confident that the measures being taken will enable the zoo to operate safely, with significant public health measures in place.

“We fully support the campaign launched today by Chester Zoo, and call on government to apply more consistency and evidence in its plans for safe re-opening, with the support of local public health teams.”

The zoo is urging people to make a donation here, adopt an animal from your favourite species here, become a member of the zoo here, or if you already do, keep paying your membership fees.