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A special concept allows you to visit the petting zoo in Offenbach until December 20th. All appointments were gone in next to no time.
The animals have been bored in the past few weeks, says Susanne Meyer. The director of the forest zoo paid the animals as much attention as possible, “but we cannot replace the visitors for them”. Young goats in particular need three times as many strokes as other animals. You can get some of them back now. Because the forest zoo has had guests again since December 1st, albeit a very limited number. Three families can visit the petting zoo per day – each for themselves and for 90 minutes each. It is closed for 30 minutes between families to disinfect the toilets, among other things.
The forest zoo
In the forest zoo it is possible to imagine keeping the concept beyond December 20 – should a regular visit still not be possible. Current information is available on the Facebook page or www.waldzoo-offenbach.de.
The donation account of the zoo is: IBAN: DE09505500200000100773 BIC: HELADEF1OFF Städtische Sparkasse Offenbach am Main. Tim
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A maximum of four people from one household are allowed. The fifth person from the second household is the keeper who takes care of the animals during this time. “We posted it on Facebook on Friday afternoon, and all appointments were taken on Sunday morning,” reports Meyer. The post has been shared more than 1000 times. The zoo receives 30 euros per family, money that the facility could use very well in times of the coronavirus pandemic. “We received a lot of support during that time,” says Meyer. She also came up with the concept because she wanted to show people what was going on in their zoo. “That way you don’t disappear from the screen,” emphasizes Meyer. After consulting the local authorities, she got the okay and came up with her model with the time windows. At 8 a.m., the zoo employees start looking after the animals, feeding them and clearing out the stables. The first family arrives at 10.30 a.m.
During the first lockdown between March and May, Meyer and her team used the time to carry out construction work. Back then there was at least the prospect that it could open in summer. “November was harder because winter and the cold season don’t pass in a month,” said Meyer. Therefore, this time she did without further construction work, the employees cut their remaining vacation and the money was saved. After all, the costs for the vets and the feed continue to run.
“We have now only planned until December 20th because we don’t know what will happen after that,” says Meyer. Without Corona, the zoo would always be open in the following days, on Christmas days until 1 p.m. How that will look this time is uncertain. It is clear that the one-family concept is also a way of attracting guests to the zoo in January.
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