A gofundme account has been launched with the hope of keeping animals feed and to preserve endangered wildlife at the Hope Zoo in St Andrew.
Curator, Joey Brown, organiser of the fundraiser, indicated that as a non-profit organisation, the Hope Zoo Preservation Foundation depends heavily on revenue from guest admission passes, events and tours to meet daily financial needs to feed animals and rehabilitate rescued native wildlife.
There are over 1,000 animals at the zoo including 400 birds and 75 mammals.
Brown says emergency funds to keep the zoo running have been under strain since the facility closed on March 5.
He says zookeepers and staff have continued to feed and care for the animals despite the challenges.
Donations are now being sought from members of the public to help with operations.
The gofundme has so far received just over US$3,700 of its US10,000 target, after being launched three days ago.
In addition to giving a donation, persons may also participate in the Adopt-A-Zoo-Animal programme.
Packages range from US$65 to adopt a macaw or reptile (Jamaican iguana, American crocodile, or Jamaican boa) to a US$150 ZOOM call and to adopt an animal of your choice.
With the latter, the individual is entitled to a 10-minute personalised zoom call with the animal of their choice and a one minute video a week for four weeks with your chosen animal, including an introduction and weekly updates.
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