Tasmania Zoo and ZooDoo reopen after COVID-19 shutdowns

Tasmanian Zoos are opening their gates open just in time for the school holidays with new animals ready to meet visitors for the first time.

THE animals at Tasmania’s zoos are just as happy as the owners to see crowds returning this school holidays.

After closures of up to three months because of COVID-19 restrictions, even the animals were starting to miss having people around.

Owner of Tasmania Zoo in Launceston Rochelle Penney said it was also a massive financial relief to see people coming through the gates again.

“We opened a week before the school holidays and were amazed with the huge amount of local support we had,” she said.

“If the borders weren’t closed still, we would probably be seeing a lot more visitors but it certainly is a weight off my shoulders having people coming in the doors.”

Tasmania Zoo owner Rochelle Penney with the zoo's new cheetahs Zari and Tafara. Picture: PATRICK GEE

Ms Penney said their 500-visitor limit was easy to stick to, considering the wide open space of the zoo at Riverside.

Things are essentially back to normal just in time for the holidays, apart from not being able to hold their usual keeper talks about the animals, as they cannot have crowds of people gathered around a keeper.

They are also looking forward to finally showing off their two new cheetahs, which arrived just before the zoo was shut down in March.

In the south, ZooDoo also reopened its doors again for the first time in months on Saturday.

Director Donna Cuttriss said that a variety of procedures are now in place to guarantee the Richmond’s zoo’s opening will be given its best chance.

Pre-COVID visitors of about 62,000 annually were 60 per cent tourists and 40 per cent locals, so for now school holiday crowds maybe the key to the zoo’s future.

“It’s school holiday’s which we are really thankful for, we will initially be open seven days, 9am to 5pm for the school holidays and try to recover a bit from the long shut down,” she said.

Zoo Doo director Donna Cuttriss with some meerkats. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

“The response so far has been good and we will review what happens next as we go. We are relying primarily on Tasmanian families visiting us.”

For two years ZooDoo worked towards accreditation and during shutdown they were recognised for promoting positive animal welfare and achieved accreditation through the Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia (ZAA).

An exciting development has been the new Hill Top Farm/Barnyard display that aims to promote sustainable agriculture practices, tell the story of the history of domestication and educate on responsible pet ownership.

“It hopes to teach and inspire visitors a variety of ways in which they can provide positive welfare for their animals at home, including the types of species we hope to display in our Hill Top Farm.”