Wildlife sanctuaries, zoos and animal hospitals are being crippled by the coronavirus, with the ban on gatherings robbing them of the funds needed to feed the animals and retain staff.
Key points:
Funding for most wildlife sanctuaries and zoos is through paid visitor entries, which have stopped with coronavirus restrictions
Wildlife sanctuaries and zoos need thousands of dollars a month to keep feeding the animals
The usual fundraising efforts that keep many places running are no longer an option
The Fraser Coast Wildlife Sanctuary in Queensland’s Wide Bay region is run by volunteers, cares for 300 animals and now has no way to pay for their food, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic restrictions.
Sanctuary liaison officer David Trigg told ABC Wide Bay the sanctuary was “doing it pretty tough”.
“As you know, with COVID-19, the Government has shut everything down, so, all our funding is through [visitor] entries to the sanctuary, which has completely dried up,” he said.
