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A spokesperson said in the interest of the Index, temporary closure is an extraordinary thing in the life of a zoo, as it is normally one of the few institutions that used to be open every day of the year.
The capital’s zoo could not receive visitors at all in the third part of the year – from March 15 to May 19, from November 11 to December 31 – and during the rest of the year – except the first ten weeks of the year . – only certain restrictions, precautionary measures. They have been closed throughout this year.
The day they were not opened was the last one before 1994, March 15, 2020. In the previous period, it was customary to keep them closed one day a week from mid-autumn, from mid-autumn to early spring. The last time the capital’s zoo was closed for several months was at the end of 1944-1945, during the siege of Budapest during World War II.
Animals also respond to the visitation ban
Although the zoo is not currently open to the public, it still operates behind closed doors.
We care for our animals and plants to the same high standard as before, and in every effort we strive to ensure that they do not perceive any of these extraordinary times.
– said Zoltán Hanga.
He also reported that caring for the animals, dealing with them and feeding them is the same as usual, so the only factor that has changed in their lives is that, unlike usual, they now see no visitors around them in the walks in the garden. . According to the spokesperson, they react differently to this.
There are animals whose behavior shows that they are a little used to visitors. Examples include lions, but also giraffes.
– Zoltán Hanga explained.
Little by little they will get used to the presence of the public, as happened last May.
The behavior of other animals suggests that they explicitly miss the audience. Sea lions or baboons, for example, do the same
The spokesperson added.
In case of suspicion, the animals can also be analyzed.
Protection against coronavirus is also part of caring for animals. Zoltán Hanga pointed out that there is little data on the extent to which the coronavirus, which is now a great concern for humanity, can infect animals, some isolated cases (big cats at the Bronx Zoo, gorilla in San Diego), but even before. It was announced that the Botanical Garden has ordered certain measures to protect its animals.
We have not experienced a suspected case of coronavirus in our animals, but if it does occur, there is an international protocol for it, and we can test them if necessary.
– Zoltán Hanga reported.
A number of measures have also recently been introduced to protect zoo staff (eg teleworking in certain jobs, temporal or spatial groupings).
There is still much to do, nobody’s work has become superfluous and the knowledge of all our staff is still needed. Therefore, there was no dismissal
The spokesperson confirmed.
Where does the source come from?
Due to the lack of visitors, the zoo’s income decreased, however, the Municipality that maintained it did not leave the institution alone. The government also provides them with a special resource in view of the emergency, as it does for all other members of the Hungarian Zoo Association.
In addition, certain measures have been introduced on the expenditure side, giving priority to the necessary expenses:
- which are essential for the proper functioning of the enclosure,
- and which ones are important too, but it makes more sense to postpone them until they are back on their own operating income.
A change in the operation of the zoo was also the fact that not only visitors could not be received, but also members of the press. Last spring, with some precautions, film crews and press photographers were even able to cover the zoo without visitors.
However, current legislation stipulates that only zoo employees can be present. For example, they have worked with television crews to give out images filmed by the zoo and used on their YouTube channel, and a spokesperson for the zoo is speaking in front of the front door, outside on the street.
How to support the zoo?
Visitors can help in many ways. One is the symbolic adoption of animals, which is possible despite the temporary closure. This can be done online at the Zoo Foundation website.
Offering 1 percent of personal income tax can also go a long way. “We would care a lot if as many people as possible chose us,” added Zoltán Hanga.
However, the support may not be purely financial. A spokesperson told Index:
For zoo workers, love for their institution means a lot.
At the end of January, someone is one “I miss you Zoo!” Paper stuck to the main entrance. This was immediately shared on social media to say how much the zoo misses the audience as well, and the next day the staff also posted a signed reply message: “We miss you too!”
The capital’s zoo received many comments from the audience about how much they missed the visit. On the community side, several people recalled how important family events and their childhood experiences are related to the zoo. According to Zoltán Hanga, the zoo staff read these messages tactfully.
Anyone who wants to help us can also do so by visiting us again if they can visit the garden again. There will be no shortage of sights!
The spokesperson promised.
For now, the online experience remains
Even in the spring of last year, when it had to close for two months, one of the biggest challenges for the zoo was how to get people to experience the zoo without being able to receive visitors.
Fortunately, the Internet is a suitable medium for many things, so we introduced it then, and we have been doing it ever since, publishing more news, photo reports and short films than usual. They seem to be very popular, and some of our shorts already show more than half a million views.
– Zoltán Hanga explained.
The zoo also has web cameras, for example, you can see the feeding and training of the sea lions, which are carried out in the same way as if the institution were open.
Partly because, thanks to the webcam, the program continues to have an audience, but also because the training of sea lions is not only an attraction, but also important for the seals themselves, whether there are visitors or not.
They also seek to have content that seeks to replace visits to the study zoo in a manner similar to digital work in education to classroom sessions.
Recently, it was a traditional period for the Teddy Bear Carnival. In the last days of January and the first days of February, there is usually a multi-day event at this time, which also includes checking if the bear has a shadow.
Since the doors are closed, this year we held a Teddy Bear Carnival online, posted bear-related content, short films, and logged in live from the Bear Runner on our Facebook page to see if the bear had a shadow. It was not like that anyway. Many followed the broadcast and many watched it later, there was also a kindergarten group who watched the broadcast together.
– Zoltán Hanga informed the Index.
This year is also a jubilee year for the zoo in the capital, as it will be 155 years old in August this year. Since January, a series of content has been shared that seeks to show the interesting and rich past of the institution.
We found that the public is very happy to try to get people to experience the zoo, at least in this way. Coming to a zoo is a good thing, so it’s no wonder that many people miss out on the experience, the spokesperson explained.
When asked when they see an opportunity for the zoo to receive visitors again, Zoltán Hanga said: it is not up to them to decide, it is difficult to predict the development of the epidemic, they can only trust that, hopefully, they will be able to reopen the doors. when as soon as possible.
They are prepared so that once the decision is made they can receive visitors again as soon as possible.
Upper Ljö Zoo is expected to close
They cannot meet the challenges of shutdown everywhere. Due to restrictive epidemiological measures, the MagánZoo zoo in Felsőlajos, which has been closed since November 11, is open from the void in the Congo, and if no help is received, the wonder park may be closed – writes baon. hu. Tibor Tóth, the owner of the zoo, which has been around for 25 years, told the newspaper that they are currently recovering their last reserves, and the situation is quite desperate. As a private zoo, they are still not supported, so they have to cover workers’ salaries, animal care, utilities and their own expenses from reserves, slowly over a year. “If Easter is lost again, we can’t wait any longer: we have to close the doors,” said Tibor Tóth.
(Cover image: Huszti István / Index)
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