Whipsnade 'at risk of extinction': Sir David Attenborough fronts fresh appeal for help
Watch a video report by ITV News Anglia's Sarah Cooper
Sir David Attenborough has warned the charity which runs Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire is "at risk of extinction" in a new video appeal.
The broadcaster and environmentalist has provided the voiceover for the Zoological Society of London's (ZSL) television advert, which asks for donations to support the charity's two zoos - Whipsnade and London Zoo - in the wake of the coronavirus lockdown.
ZSL has warned that without public support its research and conservation work, which takes place around the world, is under threat.
Director General Dominic Jermey said: "Our zoos are the lifeline for ground-breaking research at the world-renowned ZSL Institute of Zoology and fund our global conservation projects – work that has never been more vital.
"As well as educating and inspiring millions of people to make a difference for wildlife, we’re at the forefront of research to understand how diseases such as coronaviruses transfer from wildlife to humans, and we’re using our expertise to help find new ways for humans and wildlife to peacefully co-exist.
"The world cannot afford for our work to be stopped; but we need help to keep going.”
The financial challenge facing ZSL
£12m - the amount it is hoping to raise through the appeal, which would cover food and care for its animals for a year
£2.3m - fixed costs per month
£7.8m - usual takings over the Easter and May bank holidays, which the zoos were closed for this year
In the video, Sir David highlights the global nature of the work done at Whipsnade and London zoos: “ZSL’s work is vital in driving forward a vision of a world where wildlife thrives, but ZSL now faces its toughest challenge to date – the national institution is now itself, at risk of extinction.”
The government has pledged £114m to help zoos survive the coronavirus outbreak, but so far ZSL have been deemed ineligible for any grants.
Watch: The video appeal featuring Sir David Attenborough
Banham and Africa Alive welcome Chancellor's 'mini-budget'
The charity which runs Banham Zoo in Norfolk and Africa Alive in Suffolk have welcomed the financial measures announced by the Chancellor on Wednesday, 8 July.
The Zoological Society of East Anglia (ZSEA) came weeks away from collapsing due to the financial impact of the pandemic.
In a bid to boost the leisure sector, Rish Sunak announced that VAT would be reduced to 5% until January.
Claudia Roberts, Managing Director of ZSEA, said: “We are delighted to hear the announcement that VAT on all our sales, across Banham Zoo and Africa Alive, will be reduced.
"As a charity we rely entirely on visitor income and, while our zoos were closed, we lost nearly £2 million in revenue.
"What’s more, through implementing social distancing measures and limiting our visitor numbers for the foreseeable future, we are still forecasting 60% less sales for the next four months."
However Ms Roberts also confirmed that, like ZSL, ZSEA had been turned down for the dedicated zoo relief fund.
She added: "Both our zoos were turned down for the Government zoo grants of £100,000 – the reason given was that assistance was only for zoos who had less than six weeks of cashflow and at the time we had 10 weeks of cash.
"The government have also stated that a further £100 million zoo fund may come into effect soon and they are working closely with charity zoos to understand what is required, but we are still awaiting further details on the eligibility criteria."