Banham zoo and Africa Alive given helping hand by author's new book

An author has been penning a children’s book for the past year, in the hopes of raising money for Banham Zoo and Africa Alive.

Sarah Davison, 48, had previously written two books, and made the decision to help out upon seeing the impact lockdowns were having on funding for nearby zoos.

“The book is based around the idea of what animals might do if they were left to their own devices and I’ve been writing it since the first lockdown, as I could see that the zoos would be in need of some assistance,” she said.

“I’ve always written and illustrated pictures, but when I found myself with some extra free time during lockdown, I decided to start putting my books out there.

“With this latest one, I would say, if you know Banham Zoo, you’ll probably recognise parts of the book. It would be suitable for younger or older children up to around the age of 10, and you can buy a copy either through Amazon or my Facebook page, with one third of all proceeds going to charity.

“Every little helps of course, and as well as making a little money to donate to the zoo, the book will hopefully raise their profile a little among children who may not have visited yet. I haven’t set a financial goal, but I’ve said I’m happy to keep donating until the zoos reopen and I may even keep going beyond that point.”

Banham Zoo has been facing an uncertain future lately, having taken a £1.5 million hit in the first lockdown, and footing bills of £25,000 per week just to feed the animals..

The zoo opted for a third closure in January of this year with Covid-19 case numbers soaring, and has been largely dependant on fund-raising efforts of nearby residents to cover some of the spiralling costs of feeding the animals..

The reopening date for Banham Zoo and Africa Alive has been scheduled for April 12.