Hundreds of innocent animals have been left without a home after a small zoo was forced to close due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Living Coasts is a small zoo in Devon, the UK, that is run by the Wild Planet Trust. As the trust officials have confirmed in a statement, the Torquay-based zoo could no longer reopen whereas the animals will have to be rehomed.
On top of hundreds of animals losing their home, more than forty staff at the Living Coasts are facing the sack.
“It is with regret that Wild Planet Trust has to announce that it will not be re-opening Living Coasts as a visitor attraction following its closure during the current global coronavirus pandemic,” the trust said in a statement.
For nearly two decades, Living Coasts had been attracting tourists who wished to see their many marine species including penguins, seals, and otters.
The pandemic, and the consequent drop in visitation, however, have forced the trust to review their financial situation and decide that the maintenance of the zoo is too substantial to handle in the current situation.
As the trust confirmed, their mission is now to find new homes for the hundreds of animals still located at the zoo.
“Most of the animals kept at Living Coasts are marine species that will need specialist facilities. Living Coasts is confident that good new homes for the animals will be found, but at present it is unclear how long this process may take,” the officials announced.
In addition to closing the zoo, the trust also announced that some one hundred jobs across different animal parks under their name are in jeopardy.
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Replaced!