S. Korea's biggest indoor zoo struggles amid COVID-19
Arirang News
2020-05-11
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말라가는 사자 우두커니…발길 끊긴 국내 최대 실내 동물원
When we say we are all in this pandemic together, we mean ALL.
Zoo animals are also suffering during the COVID-19 outbreak as zoos struggle to feed them due to financial difficulties following a months-long shutdown.
The biggest indoor zoo in South Korea, located in Daegu, reopened two weeks ago, but is still having a tough time.
Lee Kyung-eun files this report from the city, once the epicenter of South Korea's COVID-19 outbreak.
COVID-19 has also taken its toll on animals here at South Korea's biggest indoor zoo.
After seeing its revenues stagnate during the two-month shutdown due to the outbreak, the zoo in Daegu had to cut animals' food portions,...by nearly half.
And that impact,… can be seen just by looking at these white lions, whose bones are still visible through their skin.
"Usually we provide 14 chickens per lion, but during the shut-down, only 7 were given. Also, we used to feed them two times a day, but that changed to once a day."
The number of zookeepers had also been reduced,...from 9 to just 3 people.
And the situation had become too much to be dealt with internally.
"Some of the executives used their own money to keep the business going. But that certainly isn't enough to solve the problem."
Just when the zoo was about to reach breaking point described by a zoo official as a matter of "life and death for both workers and animals",... food donations came in, and the government restrictions were relaxed.
The zoo finally reopened two weeks ago, but things are still eerily empty.
Once visited by nearly 15-hundred people a day,…the zoo now receives less than 50 daily visitors,... and the atmosphere is less lively due to new operational measures.
"Some popular activities like touching or feeding the animals have been suspended, and parades have also been cancelled."
The surrounding businesses inside the mall have also suffered.
The food court, which was also shut down for two months, is struggling with an extreme financial crisis.
"It's impossible to pay the workers. The government has provided roughly 8-hundred dollars for each worker, but that's not even close to enough."
These businesses say that they are hit harder by the outbreak because they are indoors and the pain is likely to continue.
Lee Kyung-eun, Arirang News, Daegu.
When we say we are all in this pandemic together, we mean ALL.
Zoo animals are also suffering during the COVID-19 outbreak as zoos struggle to feed them due to financial difficulties following a months-long shutdown.
The biggest indoor zoo in South Korea, located in Daegu, reopened two weeks ago, but is still having a tough time.
Lee Kyung-eun files this report from the city, once the epicenter of South Korea's COVID-19 outbreak.
COVID-19 has also taken its toll on animals here at South Korea's biggest indoor zoo.
After seeing its revenues stagnate during the two-month shutdown due to the outbreak, the zoo in Daegu had to cut animals' food portions,...by nearly half.
And that impact,… can be seen just by looking at these white lions, whose bones are still visible through their skin.
"Usually we provide 14 chickens per lion, but during the shut-down, only 7 were given. Also, we used to feed them two times a day, but that changed to once a day."
The number of zookeepers had also been reduced,...from 9 to just 3 people.
And the situation had become too much to be dealt with internally.
"Some of the executives used their own money to keep the business going. But that certainly isn't enough to solve the problem."
Just when the zoo was about to reach breaking point described by a zoo official as a matter of "life and death for both workers and animals",... food donations came in, and the government restrictions were relaxed.
The zoo finally reopened two weeks ago, but things are still eerily empty.
Once visited by nearly 15-hundred people a day,…the zoo now receives less than 50 daily visitors,... and the atmosphere is less lively due to new operational measures.
"Some popular activities like touching or feeding the animals have been suspended, and parades have also been cancelled."
The surrounding businesses inside the mall have also suffered.
The food court, which was also shut down for two months, is struggling with an extreme financial crisis.
"It's impossible to pay the workers. The government has provided roughly 8-hundred dollars for each worker, but that's not even close to enough."
These businesses say that they are hit harder by the outbreak because they are indoors and the pain is likely to continue.
Lee Kyung-eun, Arirang News, Daegu.
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