Dudley Zoo staff 'dismayed' after vandalism
It could cost thousands of pounds to repair
Staff at Dudley Zoo and Castle say they're 'dismayed' after vandals scratched graffiti into the glass of several of the animal enclosures.
It's thought to have happened late yesterday afternoon as the zoo site was still busy with visitors enjoying the bank holiday weather.
Enclosures damaged included the brand new Southern Cassowary exhibit.
It's thought the damage could cost thousands of pounds to repair, at a time when the zoo is still reeling from the impact of the pandemic.
Zoo Director Derek Grove said: “This is simply mindless vandalism which is utterly disheartening following the difficult last 12 months we’ve endured.
“Like all zoos around the country, we were closed for the majority of the past year and managed to carry on thanks to the generosity of our visitors donating to our online fundraising page and halting our development plans so we could continue caring and feeding for our animals.
“Thankfully we’ve come out of the pandemic on the other side with some financial losses, but now we’re going to have to waste money repairing this damage, which only reduces the funds we have available for the care of the animals.”
The zoo is urging anyone who witnessed the vandalism, or who saw any suspicious activity at the site, to contact West Midlands Police on 101.