UK Zoos: Multi-million pound boost for zoos, parks and aquariums

Zoos and aquariums in the England will be given a share of £100 million from the government to help them recover from the coronavirus crisis.

Zoos will have to bid for the funding which will be provided until April 2021.

The news comes as many zoos and aquariums prepare to reopen their cafes and indoor exhibits from 4 July, while sticking to social distancing measures.

The outdoor attractions at zoos in England were allowed to re-open on 15 June, three months after they were forced to temporarily shut because of coronavirus.

In Scotland, where zoos can also open from Monday, there is a separate emergency funding package. Zoos in Northern Ireland can open from Friday 3 July. There's no date yet for Wales.

As Newsround reported back in May, the forced closures meant zoos across the UK lost 90% of their income.

At the beginning of June, Chester Zoo - which is one of the UK's biggest zoos - said it might have to close down because of the effect of coronavirus.

97% of the zoo's income comes from visitors, and it costs £465,000 per month to look after all the animals and plants there.

Animal Welfare Minister, Lord Zac Goldsmith, said today: "We have a world-leading zoo and conservation sector and I know how hard zoos have been working to safeguard the welfare of their animals in the face of real financial hardship and uncertainty.

"Allowing zoos to reopen has taken off some of the pressure, but the coronavirus pandemic has left them facing long-term financial problems. This funding will therefore be a lifeline for our zoos and aquariums and ensure the quality of animal care continues over the coming months."

But London Zoo, which this week launched a £12m funding campaign backed by Sir David Attenborough, told the Telegraph newspaper that the new fund was "deeply disappointing", and the maximum amount it could get would not feed its 20,000 animals for a month.