When the coronavirus pandemic first closed the gates to the Denver Zoo, CEO Bert Vescolani said even the animals noticed the crowds were gone.
“You walked through the zoo and they were, ‘Where is everyone? What's going on?’” Vescolani said. “They provided a lot more attention to all of us that were at the zoo trying to keep an eye on a place.”
While the animals curiously met their new reality, Vescolani remembers those early days of the shutdown were filled with uncertainty.
“It was scary,” he said. “It was sad. It didn't feel very good to not have this public organization open to the public. We felt that nature is pretty resilient in many ways, and if we can learn from that we'll be good.”
The coronavirus pandemic affected almost every facet of the zoo’s operations, from opening to the public in Colorado to its conservation efforts abroad in countries like Botswana, Peru, Vietnam and Mongolia.
“We were not an organization that obviously can shut off the lights, close things up, walk away and come back,” Vescolani said.
There were around 3,000 animals that depended on the zoo’s personnel, who also faced cuts after so much lost revenue and reduced visitors.
But zoo officials said the animals’ well-being is always their top priority. Even in lean financial times, that means animals never miss a meal.
“We've never compromised on their care and never would,” Vescolani said. “We'd make all kinds of other adjustments before we do that.”
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December 29, 2020 at 06:01PM
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Denver Zoo Says It Can Afford To Feed Its Animals, But It Still Needs Help During The Pandemic - Colorado Public Radio
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