MP Dr Luke Evans was invited to Twycross Zoo (Friday 19th June) to thank him for his continuous support throughout the Covid-19 lockdown and to show him the necessary adaptations made to the zoo to protect its visitors.
With the zoo re-opening on Monday 15th June, CEO, Sharon Redrobe, OBE was keen to invite MP Dr Luke Evans to Twycross Zoo to thank him for raising the zoo’s plight in the House of Commons and for his ongoing support to get Twycross Zoo back open as quickly as possible.
Twycross Zoo was closed for 83 days, the longest period in its 57-year history. The zoo is now open and has a number of social distancing measures in place, however it has had to limit the number of visitors each day, to allow for adequate social distancing.
Twycross Zoo’s, CEO Dr Sharon Redrobe OBE, said: “We are really pleased that MP Dr Luke Evans could visit Twycross Zoo and we appreciate all of his support throughout these unprecedented times. It is great news that Twycross Zoo is now back open, after we were initially told that zoos were going to be closed indefinitely. However, we are not out of the woods yet and we are still very much in a financial crisis.
“During what would have been our busiest months in lockdown we have spent much of our reserves continuing to run our zoo and provide essential care for our 500 animals. Now that we have re-opened we are following government advice and have had to restrict our visitor numbers which is limiting our income. We are still working with the other large zoos in the county to lobby to the Government to provide vital grants so we can protect our future and save our zoo from extinction. We are also continuing to appeal to our communities, who have already helped so much, to keep raising awareness of the plight of zoos by contacting their MPs for support, as well as buying tickets to visit our zoo or donate online.”
MP Dr Luke Evans, commented: “I am so pleased that Twycross Zoo has been able to open its doors finally. Working with the Sharon and her team we have been lobbying DEFRA, the Treasury and even the Prime Minister directly, reopening is the culmination of a great deal of hard work and persistence.
“The zoo still has a long way to go financially and I am continuing to lobby ministers to provide a package of support to larger charity zoos so we can ensure these attractions remain open and more importantly, we ensure the safety of these animals, many of which face extinction.”
Twycross Zoo, located in 100-acres of rural Leicestershire countryside, are asking its visitors to pre-book tickets online and stick to strict allocated arrival times. Only those who have booked online in advance will be permitted entry. Twycross Zoo Members are also asked to book online in advance too. For more details of the ‘Covid-19 Secure’ measures Twycross Zoo have in place, or to book online tickets click here: https://twycrosszoo.org/safety-measures/
