UK zoos & lockdown going forward...

[Andrew Swales]

Most of the 'garden centres' here are totally the opposite of what you describe, huge indoor retail units with tiny plant sales yards at the back. A few plant nurseries are still mostly outdoor, but these are not what the public call 'garden centres'..
Restricting people entering will mean either pre-purchased on-line tickets as zoos are planning, or long queues for the police to deal with.
100 people would be a major help to most small zoos, in the absence of anything else (and is phase 3 of the Australian recovery plan, with 20 people as phase 2). Jersey has set their starting day total at 500.
Purchasing their tickets up-front on-line only, their spaces would be guaranteed, no cash delays at the entrance so straight in after a scan - there would be no queue at all, let alone an all day one as you state.

 

[littleRedPanda]

Will there be a set number of members (or annual ticket holders) allowed in as well as paying visitors, or will they be expected to pay too for the time being?

 

[Andrew Swales]

Will there be a set number of members (or annual ticket holders) allowed in as well as paying visitors, or will they be expected to pay too for the time being?

I assume that all other zoos are putting plans in place too. At Hamerton we are working with DigiTicket who handle on-line purchases for some other zoos already. Because it is impossible to get any indication, or even usually a reply, from Government, we have asked DigiTicket to make the system as infinitely tweakable as possible, so it can evolve quickly. We are quite likely to get it wrong to start with, so we need something quick to respond to problems. Even though donations have pretty much stopped, presumably as a result of Government 'funding' announcements, support from public, members and businesses has been (and continues to be) wonderful. We are sure that everyone will be tolerant, if we make a few mistakes to start with.

 

[Nod]

Technology can thankfully play a good role in aiding zoos through this. But it doesn't stop the many people/families (myself included) longing to visit animal collections again in person.
Where such features that we're all used to, such as keeper talks, may not be able to continue. That's perhaps where technology can aid again. It may be an idea, that where certain collections have done livestreams on their animals, a sign with QR codes relating to specific animal talks -when at their exhibits, can be linked and followed? That way a small portion of reality has the potential of remaining. Just an idea though.

Obviously a lot of planning goes into public safety before even the idea of opening, such as (where possible) one way guidelines when going round zoos. But booking tickets online and scanning them is in theory able to minimise contact very well, alongside limiting numbers of visitors per day, and having delayed entry (giving them time slots to enter by).

Ultimately, for what some zoos may find works well, may not work well for others. So it'll be interesting to see how the stage of re-opening eventually goes.

 

[Dassie rat]

In the 1960s, I bought an elephant key at London Zoo. This enabled me to listen to a series of recorded animal talks by Desmond Morris and later by Johnny Morris. Surely, a similar scheme involving multi-media material could be included in zoos to impart information about animals that may be new to visitors.

 

[Zia]

In the 1960s, I bought an elephant key at London Zoo. This enabled me to listen to a series of recorded animal talks by Desmond Morris and later by Johnny Morris. Surely, a similar scheme involving multi-media material could be included in zoos to impart information about animals that may be new to visitors.

Many collections are already providing this sort of content via social media for free.Using Wingham as an example - they post a schedule of content for the upcoming week such as the below. Seems to be very popular and also very successful in keeping the donations coming in. They post every day with a picture of what they have received and personally thanking the people who's donations came with a note. Obviously this doesn't show how they are doing money-wise in donations but in terms of supplies it doesn't seem to be slowing down at all.

 

[Crowthorne]

I think it helps that Wingham are developing and maintaining a close and successful relationship with a core set of Facebook fans. I've watched their live tours at least once a week since lockdown, and it does seem that the same core set of fans tune in, to the extent that the tours are a very familiar and friendly place now, with in-jokes, friendly banter and references to favourite parts from previous tours. Each live stream has an average of 250 viewers (and their first night tour had over a thousand!).

This has taken a few weeks for this to settle into its stride for Wingham, and it must be a big help that they have such a keen and engaging curator in Markus, who is willing to run all the live feeds. They do seem to be the only zoo I've come across that are doing zoo tours, in addition to species talks/highlights, which seems to be working very well.

I think it is Shepreth that is offering Zoom call experiences with keepers, which might be another way of opening up the collection to visitors virtually, whilst also bringing in some form of income.

 

[Jennings]

.. AND, visits to garden centres are for leisure reasons, just as they are to a zoo. Their visitors may go home with a tray of pansies, some tropical fish, or a £195 ceramic guinea-fowl for their garden, instead of a cuddly white tiger and a guide-book - but it was still a leisure destination they had to drive to. There is no difference - apart from most of the garden centre being indoors in a closed space.. Perhaps if zoos replaced their soft-toys with bedding plants, that would turn their shops into garden centres? Even though they display exotic animals and so legally are 'zoos', some already call themselves 'farms' or 'zoofarms' and have farm shops as part of their sites...

Five Sisters Zoo has been running an online garden centre as a way of generating income during lockdown.

 

[TNT]

They do seem to be the only zoo I've come across that are doing zoo tours

Longleat have been releasing tours... and Lakeland did a small overview of part of their tropical hall yesterday. Winghams sister site, Sandwich, have also done a few tours

 

[cliffxdavis]

So, if I understood Boris correctly, all English zoos can be open from Wednesday as I will be able to drive as far as I want to go somewhere to exercise, provided I practice social distancing when I get there?

My only problem is I am too near 70, overweight, asthmatic and diabetic so qualify for the marked for death group and am therefore waiting for a vaccine before I mingle with the great unwashed and infective masses.

Still nice to know I could go out to a zoo.

 

[amaroc]

So, if I understood Boris correctly, all English zoos can be open from Wednesday

Really, when did he say that ?

 

[Dassie rat]

I didn't hear him say anything about zoos.

 

[cliffxdavis]

Really, when did he say that ?

As I understand it, zoos are closed because we all had to stay indoors and were not allowed to drive anywhere except for a few special reasons. No point being open if no one can get there.

Now from Wednesday you can take as much exercise as you want and travel in your car to get there.

Why not exercise in a zoo?

Social Distancing to be practiced.

 

[cliffxdavis]

I didn't hear him say anything about zoos.

Did you hear when they announced the closure of zoos?

 

[Andrew Swales]

Did you hear when they announced the closure of zoos?

I posted this several times already, but it is possible that people have missed it amongst all the other postings:
They never announced the closure of zoos.
Over the last two weeks we have written confirmation from central and local Government that zoos were never required to close and could have been open all the way through this.
This is not my interpretation, and I posted the exact quote.

 

[cliffxdavis]

I posted this several times already, but it is possible that people have missed it amongst all the other postings:
They never announced the closure of zoos.
Over the last two weeks we have written confirmation from central and local Government that zoos were never required to close and could have been open all the way through this.
This is not my interpretation, and I posted the exact quote.

Thank you my point exactly.

Will you be open from Wednesday?

Apparently that will be the going back to work day, not today as BJ said in his address to the nation. I would imagine the shop and café will need to be closed but then maybe not if the tables are outside and widely spaced.

Lots of yellow lines 2 metres apart?

 

[Pertinax]

Those big changeable/portable road signs up until now have said' STAY HOME. ESSENTIAL JOURNEYS ONLY. I wonder what they will read after Wednesday, or will they be removed now? As I understand it Boris did say 'You can drive to other destinations', but left it unclear for what purposes, its been interpreted as 'for exercise.'(which has been the case anyway up till now) Perhaps more clarity on all these issues before Wednesday.

 

[cliffxdavis]

Those big changeable/portable road signs up until now have said' STAY HOME. ESSENTIAL JOURNEYS ONLY. I wonder what they will read after Wednesday, or will they be removed now? As I understand it Boris did say 'You can drive to other destinations', but left it unclear for what purposes, its been interpreted as 'for exercise.'(which has been the case anyway up till now) Perhaps more clarity on all these issues before Wednesday.

I think you were able to drive to where you were going to exercise but were not supposed to travel for longer than the period you spent exercising when you got there (but too many variables to enforce really).

But I think the new guidance is drive as far and as long as you want (provided you don't cross the English border into a stayathome zone) and do whatever exercise you want whilst maintaining social distancing.

Doubtless clarification today will reinforce this (or just change it altogether).

 

[Andrew Swales]

Will you be open from Wednesday?

The wrong person to ask, I am afraid! - as I know no more than you. I did not personally see the speech and from what has been reported, it said very little of substance. Apparently there is a 50 page document coming and more clarification on Wednesday? Hopefully (!) once we see what is in that, we will be able to put more information on our web-site, and on social media.

 

[Pertinax]

I think you were able to drive to where you were going to exercise but were not supposed to travel for longer than the period you spent exercising when you got there (but too many variables to enforce really).

But I think the new guidance is drive as far and as long as you want (provided you don't cross the English border into a stayathome zone) and do whatever exercise you want whilst maintaining social distancing.

Doubtless clarification today will reinforce this (or just change it altogether).

Yes, that first part, about the drive/exercise ratio is correct, since it was revealed (rather quietly) three weeks after the lockdown started. Now it seems its being broadened to include longer journeys-though the purposes seem a little unclear- just for 'exercise'- or other as well? Tourist hotspots are already nervous of whether this will mean fresh influxes of visitors now. The re-opening of Garden centres has not been mentioned yet either...