How COVID-19 Affected Animal Care in Zoos

Zoos across the United States have many assets that make them invaluable. One of their most important functions is to help conserve animal species that are heavily endangered. Regardless of species, they strive to ensure that no species goes extinct through conservation efforts. Additionally, they educate the public about animals from across the globe. Whether it is lions from Africa or polar bears from Antarctica, they bring animals from all across the globe directly before a person. Not only does this experience help people learn about animals, but it also helps create a spark for animal conservation all over the world. 

During COVID-19, zoos lost a majority of their revenue due to virtually no ticket sales (Associated Press 2020). Many were already operating at a loss, but the COVID-19 pandemic stressed their already dire finances. This led to both large layoffs of staff and a decline in animal care, as the pandemic’s financial impact resulted in a major decline in animal care due to limited budgets and a shortage of staff (Associated Press 2020). Some zoos managed to limit their losses through fundraising, aid from the government, and inventing new streams of revenue, however, the decline in resources ultimately affected the quality of animal care. 

The main way in which zoos generate revenue is through ticket sales. Ticket sales often generate more than half of their revenue, which is typically a stable source of income. A more stable source of revenue is through zoo memberships that often entail free admission with a discount on any retail. This encourages members to go to the zoo more and purchase memorabilia. 

Another way in which zoos generate revenue is through donations. These donations are often for critically endangered species or for habitat conservation. However, COVID-19 led to stark declines in attendance, resulting in many zoos ending up losing hundreds of thousands to even millions of dollars within the first few months. The Oakland Zoo lost $1.2 million in the first month and the Central Florida Zoo and & Botanical Garden lost $1.5 million within the first two months (Associated Press 2020).

The main detriment to zoos was the ongoing monthly costs. For instance, monthly food costs at the Oakland Zoo is $55,000 a month (Associated Press 2020). Additionally, there is also  the cost of maintaining the animal habitats. The Sanford Zoo in Florida requires at least $450,000 a month to keep the zoo up and running (Associated Press 2020). Furthermore, with the additional cost of paying staff salaries, many budget cuts had to be made. The Sanford Zoo had to lay off 40% of its staff, which included people from animal care all the way to customer service representatives (Associated Press 2020). Furthermore, with this loss in revenue, areas of the zoo that are too expensive to maintain will eventually close down. If they do shut down, the zoo will be forced to ship the animals elsewhere . 

The most detrimental effect of COVID-19 for zoos was the laying off of staff. There are many staff that have different types of specialties pertaining to each animal or habitat. Some “highly intelligent species with complex and sophisticated requirements such as great apes or elephants not only require specialist staffing, but often require staff that have a positive relationship with individual animals” (Wild Welfare 2021). In regards to elephants, they must need a positive relationship with their staff keeper in order for them to be handled safely (Wild Welfare 2021). With the loss of essential staff, animals not only were deprived of essential care but became more dangerous as well. Furthermore, a main reason that these animals need trainers is to safely take their medications which are needed for a healthy life. Another essential staff member that could not be maintained by zoos are food specialists. Animals from all over the world require different types of food and have different feeding behaviors. It takes a dedicated team of specialists to make operations run smoothly. With a lot of that staff gone, the animals' diets have gone awry (Wild Welfare 2021).

While many zoos struggled financially during this time, some found incredibly creative ways to ease this burden for their staff and animal residents. Some took to social media in order to raise money. Most of them asked for donations online, while others used their animals to help generate more income. The Phoenix Zoo posted some of its animals online, their two-toed sloth, Fernando, gaining a lot of popularity. As a result, they were able to monetize his popularity, charging $50 for a personalized video of Fernando (Tang 2020). However, the main way in which zoos reduced their revenue loss was through government loans. The Phoenix Zoo received a $2.7 million loan from the government (Tang 2020). The Oakland Zoo brought back more 200 employees because of federal funding (Tang 2020). American government relief programs further helped zoos stay afloat. Through the American Rescue Plan Act, zoos who met the requirements of rescuing wildlife or endangered species were eligible to apply for funding. Of the 103 applicants, 93 of them got approved (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2023). Over $40 million was available to be spread out through all those zoos, which is a major help in keeping these zoos up and running (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2023). 

While COVID-19 caused many financial problems for zoos, it also encouraged federal programs to help their survival. However, there is still work to be done. Zoos are barely scraping by and hardly have enough money to turn a profit. Animals are suffering because there is a lack of funding due to decreased ticket sales and zoo memberships, leading to decreasing staff and resources. Thus, zoos need more funding, either through private donations or through state and federal governments. Overall, zoos are a vital part of animal research and rescue, and should be properly funded in order to maintain care for animals around the world. 

References

Associated Press. (2020, July 22). Financially struggling zoos could be latest pandemic victims. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-animals-ca-state-wire-changing-economy-business-9a40f5f6da10aa643f8e46098bca9ba5

Wild Welfare. (2021). Pandemic impact on revenue loss and its relationship to animal welfare in facilities with animals in human care. Wild Welfare. https://wildwelfare.org/wp-content/uploads/Pandemic-impact-on-revenue-loss-and-its-relationship-to-animal-welfare-in-facilities-with-animals-in-human-care-FINAL.pdf

Tang, T. (2020, May 4). Zoos turn to social media to delight, raise money amid virus. PBS NewsHour. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/zoos-turn-to-social-media-to-delight-raise-money-amid-virus

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (2023, May 23). Funds available for endangered and rescued species care during the pandemic. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. https://www.fws.gov/press-release/2023-05/funds-available-endangered-and-rescued-species-care-during-pandemic