Conclusion

A Zoo Insurance Bond, similar to ATOL protection established by the travel sector, should be designed to ensure the care of animals for up to three years after a zoo is forced to close, giving a realistic opportunity for the animals in the collection to be humanely and responsibly rehomed. Where sanctuary space is not available, animals could be distributed to other zoos, providing they offer appropriate levels of welfare and care. Such a Bond should not be used to prop up failing zoos, but rather to ensure animals are cared for and their welfare prioritised in the event of closure.

A Zoo Insurance Bond would also obviate the need for headline-grabbing statements that animals may be euthanised if a zoo closes, which has occurred during the current pandemic.30,62,63

A successful example of such financial planning has been demonstrated by the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), responsible for the annual Wimbledon tennis tournament. Since the SARS outbreak in 2003, the AELTC has been taking out pandemic insurance. Over the last 17 years, it has paid £25.5m into the policy but following the cancellation of the tournament in 2020 it received close to £114m.65

With many medical professionals warning that another pandemic is inevitable, now is the time for the zoo industry to begin planning responsibly for the next time they will be forced to close to the public, in order to avoid a repeat of the financial implications of COVID-19.

Conclusion

In conclusion, as this report clearly identifies, the contribution to in situ conservation work made by the CCZ, which, in all likelihood, represents the best zoos in Britain, is weak. All zoos should be required to contribute significantly to conservation, including in situ conservation, and a far greater proportion of their revenue should be used for this purpose.

It is also clear that the current reporting requirements that apply to zoos make it very challenging to fully understand the conservation work that they claim to fund and that greater transparency, including as part of the audit process, would be very beneficial.

Finally, it is a stark reality that CCZ zoos and, most probably, all licensed zoos, are ill-prepared for the potentially significant and negative impact of prolonged and enforced closure. The establishment of a Zoo Insurance Bond, designed to safeguard the welfare and care of animals held by zoos that are closing (whether as a result of financial issues or the withdrawal of their operating license), should be a high priority.

London Zoo’s Gorilla Kingdom exhibit cost £5.3 million and houses four gorillas