Ark Wildlife Sanctuary is calling on the public for support
It's been a devastating start to 2021
Last updated 5th Feb 2021
We all hoped for a light at the end of the tunnel when the clock struck midnight and we entered 2021.
But, for Ark Wildlife Sanctuary, it's already been an even more challenging year than 2020.
On New Years day, the owners woke to find one of their Wallabies had died due to the fireworks; they later found out she was pregnant.
Then the flooding and strong winds came, causing damage to their buildings, which cost them a lot of money and time to fix.
About a week ago, their septic tank erupted out of the ground, ripping up the pipe work meaning there's no sanitation on site. They think this may have happened because of the flooding.
"It's just putting more uncertainty on what was already an uncertain future".
The sanctuary get their income to look after the animals from being open and welcoming visitors, and with their doors closed because of the lockdown, they have no money coming in.
The owners took to Facebook asking if the public could support them in any way:
Jamie Mintrim, the co-owner said:
"We are incredibly deflated, everything is funded by being open to the public, and obviously that's hit us really hard and we are living hand to mouth at the moment and then this to hit us and the bill is going to be huge, we just don't know where that money is going to come from.
"It's been a struggle since March last year, it's just putting more uncertainty on what was already an uncertain future".
They've been overwhelmed by the support they received so far: