Fund will provide grants of up to £730,000 for animal welfare costs and maintenance
A £100 million fund for zoos and aquariums that need financial support during the coronavirus pandemic is now open for applications.
The Zoo Animals Fund will provide grants of up to £730,000 to pay for animal welfare costs and essential maintenance, the government announced on 4 August. This will include money to pay for veterinary care, medicines and animal feed, as well as staffing costs.
The fund will also offer grants for rehoming costs in the event that zoos need to downsize or close, and zoos can apply even if they already received support through the £14m Zoo Support Fund that opened in May.
Many zoos and aquariums host researchers and facilitate access to their animals for academic work, ranging from studies of elephant behaviour to fish genetics.
Animal welfare minister Zac Goldsmith said: “It has been great to see zoos and aquariums welcoming people back again over the past six weeks, but I know what a challenging period this remains and hope the opening of the fund provides some much-needed relief.
“We’ll continue to work closely with the zoo community over the coming months, and remain absolutely committed to ensuring that zoos and aquariums have the support they need to provide the best possible care for their animals.”
The Zoo Animals Fund will be open for applications until 16 November 2020 and will run until the end of March 2021.