Posted May 14, 2021 in Global
Action for the Wild project support continues
Colchester Zoo’s charitable arm was established in 2004. Since it became a charity, £3.25 million has been raised and donated to animal conservation projects globally.
One of the side effects of closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic and loss of vital zoo income, is the delay or cancellation of many zoo conservation projects. Despite a £100m Zoo Animals Fund being announced, less than 10% of this has been spent. The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquaria (BIAZA) would like to ‘see the unspent £90m being used to get zoos and aquariums back on their feet so they can get on with fighting extinction’. (Quoted from inews here.)
Each year, Colchester Zoo’s charity Action for the Wild prides itself in supporting a diversity of field conservation projects, assisting with vital conservation work to reduce the plight of many species, from the Fisher’s Estuarine Moth to Amur leopards, Malayan sun bears and Komodo dragons. A loss of vital income and donations from our visitors has seen a 73.6% reduction in conservation spend in 2020 versus 2019, with funds only available to help 6 conservation projects rather than the usual 15-20 that Action for the Wild would support.
With restrictions lifting and visitor income returning, Colchester Zoo’s Action for the Wild pledges to resume its vital field conservation work supporting a diversity of projects over 2021/22. Our animal species at Colchester Zoo are vital ambassadors for their wild counterparts. If you would like to help them carry out this role, then please consider making a donation here. We really do appreciate any support you can offer us in continuing this vital work.
