Dublin Zoo is estimating that the cost of managing the virus outbreak that claimed the lives at the zoo of two young Asian elephants this summer will be between €100,000 and €150,000.
That is according to a spokesman who said that “Dublin Zoo continues to incur significant costs related to managing the Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV) outbreak”.
Last month, Dublin Zoo announced a clean bill of health for its Asian elephant herd after hundreds of hours of dedicated care from Dublin Zoo staff, along with support from international veterinary experts, other zoos, and co-operation from An Garda Síochána, as well as the Irish and British governments.
In July, it had announced that two elephants, Asha and Samiya, had tested positive for the virus and this came after the deaths of Avani and Zinda.
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The spokesman said: “The total cost of addressing the outbreak is expected to reach six figures, estimated between €100,000 and €150,000. These efforts reflect our ongoing commitment to the health and welfare of our animals.”
Dublin Zoo revealed the cost of managing the virus outbreak after the newly released 2023 annual report for the Zoological Society of Ireland shows that the wettest July on record last year contributed to a 9 per cent drop in visitor numbers to 1.16 million at Dublin Zoo that comprised 937,921 day visitors to the zoo and 224,016 visitors to Wild Lights.
The Zoological Society of Ireland’s accounts concern the operation of Dublin Zoo and Fota Island Wildlife park in Cork and additional costs along with the bad weather impact contributed to an operating loss of €486,000 which followed an operating surplus of €1.09 million in 2022.
In his report, Dublin Zoo Director Dr Christoph Schwitzer said: “Inclement weather, particularly in July, had an irrecoverable impact on our visitor numbers.”
Revenues at the Society increased by 2 per cent to €25.1 million, while operating loss takes account of non-cash depreciation charges of €4.14 million.
Still, the zoo recorded an operating surplus before depreciation costs are taken into account, the spokesman said.
That “strengthens our capacity to fund important conservation efforts and invest in capital projects,” he added.
It is seeing positive trends in visitor numbers for 2024, with attendance so far performing better than in 2023″.
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