Rutland Sanctuary Zoo - COVID Emergency support.

Meet Pika, he is one of many other residents at Rutland Sanctuary Zoo.

We were given the Zoo, based in Rutland, September 2020 due to our work with Midland Giant Species Snake Rescue and in hopes to benefit and widen our scope for helping exotics find refuge, sanctuary, rehabilitation or a just a place to live out their lives. We are a small community zoo sanctuary for the people and we push to work with the local SEN based organisations, homes, education and for families.

We have been hugely effected by the Plan B and lack of support via grants in this period, we rely purely on the visiting entrance fees for the only source of income to make sure our highly husbandry and welfare standards are met and to keep on 6 members of staff that are invaluable in achieving this. Due to the start of restrictions being put in and the new variant we do understand peoples hesitation in venturing outside and visiting.

We are not in the position as have the luxury,, like the much larger zoos with the funds to be able to wait out for the next decision on lockdowns/business support to be allocated which can take weeks.

We NEED the minimum of 8k a month to cover all staffing, feed costs, husbandry;bedding, veterinary care, heating and lighting. However we would be insanely grateful for anything at this point.

We are frightened that very very soon we will be having to make some decisions that will have a huge impact on our residents and staff, we do not want to even get to that position and we are going to fight tooth and nail to that we do not have to do so.

We take in the animals that no one can care for, strays, dumped, broken and the unwanted and we are determined to continue to do so, however we need your help to get over this ‘hump’.

Pika and his freinds more than ever need help, beyond us.