Two-metre distancing rule is threatening future of Colchester Zoo, boss warns

The two-metre distancing rule is threatening the future of the UK's largest zoo, its managing director has said.

Dr Dominique Tropeano, of Colchester Zoo, said that in a normal summer season the Essex attraction could expect 5,000 to 6,000 visitors per day.

But the number is currently limited to around 2,000 to comply with social distancing guidelines, he said.

"The way it is at the moment, unless the two metres becomes one metre, 2,000 is going to be about the number," said Dr Tropeano.

"That will not allow us to save money.

"If we have only 2,000 people per day it will only pay maybe the wages and the expenses.

"What we are not going to have is that reserve of finances that we need in order to survive through the winter."

If the two-metre distancing rule was relaxed to one metre then visitor numbers could "probably go to 4,000" per day, he said.

Colchester Zoo opened to invited pass-holders and donors on Wednesday ahead of opening to the general public on Thursday.

Staggered arrival times were in place, with groups of 200 people allowed in each half-hour and a one-way system operating around the park.

Feeding times and organised entertainment were cancelled, and some indoor attractions had to remain closed, including the giraffe and elephant houses and the orangutan building.

Colchester zoo will open on Thursday. Credit: ITV Anglia

The giraffes and elephants can still be seen when they are in their outdoor enclosures.

Dr Tropeano said he was excited to see people coming through the zoo's gates, but warned: "I believe that the hardest time is to come.We've had furlough, we have money in the bank, people are giving us money, we have survived.

"But what worries me is October, November, December, January, February, March - survival until Easter 2021."

He is calling for the Government to reduce VAT for zoos from 20% to 5%.

It could take "anything up to five years to recover" from the hit during the pandemic, he said.

Among the visitors to the zoo on Wednesday was Glennis Kamiya, who was on her first trip out after self-isolating for 12 weeks due to her diabetes.

The 73-year-old, from Chelmsford, said she made her own face mask especially.

"We normally come twice, three times per week," she said. "I have done for 30-plus years, so the staff know us here and the animals know us too."

Ms Kamiya said she even brought food for the animals, including honey and raisins for the bears.

"They handed that over for us and I wanted to cry as it's been such a long time. I couldn't praise the place highly enough, it's brilliant," she said.

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