PEN-GONE
Hundreds of animals including penguins and seals left homeless after UK zoo closes due to coronavirus pandemic
HUNDREDS of animals are now homeless after a Devon zoo was forced to close its doors due to the coronavirus crisis.
Seals, penguins and ducks are just some of the animals in need of a new home after visitor numbers plunged and maintenance costs soared during lockdown.
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Living Coasts, a coastal zoo in Torquay, Devon, has become the first casualty in confirming its gates will permanently close.
The zoo is now seeking to find new homes for its animals and said it would do everything in its power to avoid the need to euthanise any of them.
South American fur seals, African penguins, macaroni penguins, sea ducks, pied avocet, redshanks, black-necked stilts, ruffs, and terns have called the zoo home for the past 20 years.
And it's not just the animals at risk - all 44 members of staff have now been placed at risk of redundancy.
In a statement on its website, a spokesperson said: "It is with regret that Wild Planet Trust has to announce that it will not be re-opening Living Coasts as a visitor attraction following its closure during the current global coronavirus pandemic.
Falling visitor numbers and the forced closure of all its zoos due to COVID-19 has meant that it has had to look at its cost base and make efficiencies.
Living Coasts Zoo
"Falling visitor numbers and the forced closure of all its zoos due to COVID-19 has meant that it has had to look at its cost base and make efficiencies.
"After nearly twenty years of operation the site also needed substantial maintenance that the Trust is no longer in a position to afford.
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FINDING A HOME
"The next stage is to find homes for the animals. Living Coasts is part of a world-wide network of zoos and aquariums and we will be looking for homes for the animals within them once movement restrictions have been lifted.
"Most of the animals kept at Living Coasts are marine species that will need specialist facilities. Living Coast is confident that good new homes for the animals will be found, but at present it is unclear how long this process may take.
"Our priority is the welfare of our animals. In the unlikely event that we cannot find housing that suits their needs, we may need to the make the difficult decision to euthanise. As things stand, we do not anticipate that this is a likely scenario."
In the unlikely event that we cannot find housing that suits their needs, we may need to the make the difficult decision to euthanise.
Living Coasts Zoo
The zoo has served as a hugely popular destination for school trips since it opened in 2003 bringing in 6,500 school visitors a year and inspiring marine conservation.
The site is home to a penguin beach, a tropical mangrove swamp, and underwater viewing areas.
The statement said: "The next stage is to find homes for the animals.
"Living Coasts is part of a world-wide network of zoos and aquariums and we will be looking for homes for the animals within them once movement restrictions have been lifted.
"Most of the animals kept at Living Coasts are marine species that will need specialist facilities.
"Living Coast is confident that good new homes for the animals will be found, but at present it is unclear how long this process may take."
Following the announcement, the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) described the decision as "devastating".
Others, such as Sam Threadgill, the director of campaigning charity Freedom for Animals, have welcomed the news as a first step towards ending keeping animals in captivity.
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He said: "Let us hope that the closure of Living Coasts is the first step towards a complete phasing out of zoos and a transition to a society where animals are not ‘exhibits’ to be held captive and gawped at, but fellow inhabitants of the earth who are respected and conserved in their natural habitats.”
Last week Boris Johnson announced outdoor attractions including zoos and safari parks, would be able to reopen from Monday June 15.
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Zoos have lost millions of pounds in sales due to lockdown, with Chester Zoo warning that a £5million loss at its site could put it "at risk of extinction".
Some sites including London Zoo, Chester Zoo and Longleat Safari Park finally reopened to visitors from Monday - with strict new rules and social distancing in place.
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Safari parks and drive-through outdoor cinemas will be allowed to reopen soon
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