The world's oldest zoo is staging two fundraising drives – one to keep its current exhibits alive and one to try to stop the next pandemic emerging from the animal world.
London Zoological Society (ZSL) is calling for long-term investment to help prevent the next health crisis becoming a pandemic.
London Zoo also needs short-term help feeding its roughly 18,000 animals. Everything from lions and zebras to cockroaches and snakes.
The zoo has closed, much like museums, galleries and other tourist attractions around the globe, but zoo staff need to keep the animals fed and healthy.
Last year, ticket sales accounted for £27.8 million from London Zoo and ZSL's Whipsnade Zoo.
'We are really missing the crowds'
ZSL's chief operating officer, Kathryn England, said: "Ordinarily, we are entirely reliant on public support, so without people coming through the gates the income isn't coming in.
"We are really having to find other ways for people to show their support for us and donate instead.”
She added: "The (public's) response has been overwhelming so far, but we are a charity and in a good year we would have 1 million people coming through the gates.
“We are really missing the crowds and we really want people to support us.”
ZSL is also supporting long-term research into preventing future pandemics.
ZSL said that unregulated trade in wildlife and the over-exploitation of the natural world is exposing humanity to dangerous diseases.
ZSL director general Dominic Jermey said: “One of the tragedies of the current pandemic is that it was both predictable and avoidable...
“Despite repeated warnings, there is still very little research funding available. I am, therefore, proud to launch ZSL’s Appeal, calling for significant, long-term investment in wildlife health research.”
ZSL is already involved in trying to end the illegal wildlife trade, worth an estimated $23 billion a year, which drives species to extinction and threatens the future of human health.
