A zoo costs a lot of money – even if it is not open to visitors. The all-weather zoo Münster, the Osnabrück zoo and the Nordhorn zoo have daily costs of around 10,000 euros each. The smaller nature zoo in Rheine pays 5,500 euros a day. The largest part of this is made up of personnel costs. Many employees who work in catering or in the entrance area are on short-time work. This is not possible with the carers and the administration. They are needed to take care of the animals.
According to their own statements, the Nordhorn Zoo and the Münster Allwetterzoo have lost sales of two million euros each during the crisis. It is unlikely that the money will come back through donations. It is more realistic that the shareholders put money into the zoos. That would be the cities of Münster and Nordhorn and the county of Bentheim – ultimately the taxpayer.
Expansion despite lack of money
The high losses do not prevent the zoos from investing in the future. The all-weather zoo, for example, has just given the go-ahead for the new Meranti House – a home for tropical animals and plants. This is possible because the city of Münster supports the zoo. The situation is different with the new facility for meerkats in the Nordhorn Zoo. It is financed by an inheritance. The testator had obliged the zoo to use the money to expand the zoo.
How we help
There are numerous ways for each of us to support our favorite zoo. On the one hand through donations. On the homepage of every zoo we find bank details for donations. Other possibilities are, for example, joining the sponsoring association or sponsoring an animal. In many zoos, this means that you can visit the zoo free of charge. The Rheine Nature Zoo also offers regular meetings for animal sponsors. The sponsors even have the opportunity to visit “their” animals in the enclosure.
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