Banham Zoo's £1 million appeal to safeguard its future

Banham Zoo has started a fund-raising campaign to raise £1 million after visitor revenue, which it heavily relies on, was brought to an abrupt halt when it was forced to close at the end of March.

Reflecting on life without people passing through its gates – and the financial pressure that brings – Professor David Field, chief executive of the Zoological Society of East Anglia, which runs the attraction, said he had noticed a marked difference in animal behaviour.

He said: “It is very surreal here. We are still going into the zoo every day and walking around this glorious place, but it is just so quiet.

“The animals have become very inquisitive of people – the giraffes come to meet us and the sea lions follow us under the water as we go past. It is, of course, very nice, but our future is a real concern.”

It costs around £25,000 a week to run the zoo, so the ZSEA has started a fundraising campaign through its website to help raise £1 million, which will see it through to early next year.

The public can pledge money to feed their favourite zoo animals, as well as entering weekly quizzes, prize draws and competitions.

Supporters have also been raising funds for the award-winning attraction in their own way.

Prof Field said: “I have been blown away by the level of support we continue to get from the community.

“Whether it is someone giving in their pocket money or handing over hundreds of pounds, so many have risen to the challenge and we thank them so much for that.”

The zoo has been posting regular videos of some of the animals on its website and has also seen a few new arrivals, including twin male large armadillos.

A competition has been set up on its donation page to name the pair, which is hoped will also raise more money for the cause.

With the zoo talking to the Government and other organisations to secure funding, Prof Field said everyone was hopeful that they could welcome visitors again in the not-too-distant future.

He said: “In terms of reopening, we hope the authorities recognise places like Banham Zoo could be part of the solution going forward.

“Our zoos are open-air attractions, we can monitor how many people are in them at any one time and we can control social distancing safely, but we will have to see what the future holds.”

To find out more about the zoo and its fund-raising, click here.