Dublin Zoo staff say their cash reserves will only last them until early-Spring at best.
The 189-year-old iconic attraction in the Phoenix Park says it's at risk of closing.
They need half a million euro a month to upkeep their animals but the doors are shut to the public due to Covid-19.
With they've no money coming in, it's taking a toll on their cash reserves.
.@DublinZoo is at risk of closing - and their cash reserves will only last them until early Spring at best.
— Hannah Murphy (@hannahmurphnews) November 18, 2020
The charity’s pleading for donations this Christmas.
Staff say it costs half a million to upkeep animals every month. For example, sea lion food costs €350 a day. pic.twitter.com/8GsZlRXSJI
Team leader Ciaran McMahon says it's not cheap to run;
"€75 a day to feed one elephant.
"They're bulk eaters, they eat for 18 hours of the day.
"They must constantly eat because they take very little nutrients form their food.
"You're talking five sea lions here, that's €350 a day to feed.
"We look at our lion pride, we've four Asian lions here, €50 a day to feed each of them.
"That's €1,400 a week to feed them so it adds up very quickly", he told us.
Elephant keeper Hannah Wilson fears the elephants would have to be sent abroad if they can no longer maintain their costs of €5,000 a week;
"We would never let the elephants go hungry or anything, we always want to provide the best care we can.
"If we didn't have enough funding or enough money for that, we would have to look at maybe moving the elephants to another zoo or another facility elsewhere", she told us.
Speaking in the Dáil on Wednesday afternoon the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, said the government would be intervening to make sure that Dublin Zoo survives.
While Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, tweeted that he was confident a financial package could be worked out to tide the Zoo over .
To that end I am hopeful that my department will be able to offer short term financial support to help tide the two main zoos past this immediate challenge. I have also raised the matter with An Taoiseach and the Public Expenditure Minister McGrath.
— Malcolm Noonan (@noonan_malcolm) November 18, 2020
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