Zoo boss remains 'optimistic' about long term future despite a second closure because of lockdown rules
Despite having to close for the second time in a year, the boss of Paignton and Newquay zoos says things are finally looking brighter for them - after higher than expected visitor numbers while they've been open.
The Wild Planet Trust lost £1.2 million during the first lockdown and turned to crowd funding to help stay afloat - raising almost £150,000 which bosses say 'heartened' them.
As part of cost-cuttings they’ve since closed coastal zoo Living Coasts in Torquay and made a number of staff redundant.
The trust has not received any Government funding, but has taken out a support loan to help balance the books.
Executive Director Simon Tonge said: "In my entire career nothing has happened to us like what happened to us in April, May and June.
"Then I really did feel that there was a risk to to this entire organisation.
"I could see our zoos just having to close. It was a frightening time for all of us.
"We've since taken some drastic action and that is the redundancies to reduce our operating costs.
"It's awful for those people who've had to be made redundant and for those who've had to make redundancies.
"We've done the hard stuff now and I hope we can settle down over the course of this Winter.
"I do feel much more optimistic. I feel like we have a handle on where we are financially.
"We're starting to develop the plans for the future. We will develop some ambitious plans, a big masterplan for the organisation.
"Whether we'll be able to implement that or not that'll be our next challenge.
"That's where things do get a little bit unknown because so much depends on what happens to us during the course of next year with visitation.
"If we get lucky and we are open all the way through the Easter period and then we get through to the Summer and we are properly open all through the Summer and then we have another good Indian Summer like we had this year, actually we could be in a much better place and then start paying down some of our debt and start reinvesting in our two zoos.
"There is lots of things that we know we would like to do. Ultimately that's what we are here to do. We're here as a wildlife conservation organisation and we need to be doing exactly that."