From the grizzly bears in Oakland to the giant pandas in the Smithsonian, animals around the world are getting reacquainted with human visitors as zoos around the US are reopening its doors to guests.
Just a few weeks ago, more than 90% of the facilities under the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) were closed due to the pandemic. As lockdown measures were eased around the country, more than 80% of the facilities are taking in visitors.
For example, the National Zoo in Washington D.C. was finally reopened for eager visitors after remaining closed for nearly 5 months. Zoos, along with virtually all other entertainment facilities, were closed because they were deemed non-essential.
Curator Craig Saffoe shared his mixed feelings about the reopening to NPR, which was invited on the reopening day. Saffoe said that he missed the human component of his work because a big portion of his work is communicating with the visitors and sharing their love for animals.
Saying that it was exciting to finally have guests returning to the zoo, Saffoe also acknowledged the fact that the safety of both the animals and guests are considered first and foremost.
To ensure a safe visit, zoos have imposed various measures to prevent the spread of the virus. For instance, the National Zoo has announced it will only allow one-fifth of its usual crowd size on any given day. All indoor facilities will remain closed and everyone is expected to wear a mask at all times.
Dan Ashe, the president of AZA, said that the lockdown has devastated many in the business. He emphasized the unique challenges that zoos face; unlike movie theaters or bars, the animals residing in the zoo still need to be taken care of even when the gates remained closed.
This mean that all facilities still had large bills to pay without generating any revenue. During this process, Ashe says many facilities nearly depleted their financial reserves and also had to lay off non-essential staff members.
The Oakland Zoo was one of the zoos that only had 3 months of reservation left. Its president said that the zoo was able to survive because the local community donated to support the zoo, including an anonymous donor who gave $500,000.
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Replaced!