Grizzly bears Dawson and Knute resting at the B.C. Wildlife Park on Monday (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

B.C. WILDLIFE PARK

B.C. Wildlife Park says it may need to go into debt to keep animals fed while closed

Apr 20, 2020 | 5:05 PM

KAMLOOPS — It’s been one month since the B.C. Wildlife Park closed its doors due to COVID-19. While the park has worked on cutting operating costs with a handful of layoffs, it is struggling to make ends meet during this pandemic.

With reserves running dry, the park is looking at having to take on debt to properly care for its animals.

“If we’re not open by sometime mid-summer, we’ll really be struggling for options for revenue,” said wildlife park GM Glenn Grant.

About 70 per cent of the park’s revenue is from visitors. That’s gone. The park laid off 15 of its employees to save on the $1.2 million budget for staff. But even that measure isn’t helping to stop the bleeding. The park still needs to feed the animals at a cost of $10,000 a month, prompting it to ask for the public’s help.

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“As much as it sounds self-serving, it’s money. We need the funds to keep going and pay the bills. I know there are a few programs we can defer our bills, but they’re going to catch up with us later on,” said Grant. “If anybody felt like donating to the wildlife park in the past, now’s a really good time to do so, to help us out financially to get through until we’re open again.”

Grant says the park has applied for both the small business emergency loan and the wage subsidy program, which provides a 75 per cent wage subsidy for up to 12 weeks. He’s been in conversation with local MP Cathy McLeod, who’s helped the park through the process.

“The good part of how the programs have been designed, is that they support both small business, charities, and not-for-profit because we know all of them are struggling a lot right now and they all have a hugely important role to play,” said McLeod. “The wildlife park is an important part of Kamloops, but we also have the welfare of all the animals.”

But McLeod says it may take a while longer before the park receives the financial support. It makes donations from public and a potential re-opening date important during these uncertain times.

With the provincial government re-assessing restrictions coming up in the middle of May, the B.C. Wildlife Park is hopeful it could re-open in a limited capacity sometime this summer.

“If we can open up to the point where we can allow people to walk around the park and still have restrictions to keep social distancing and take-out food from the cafe, that’ll substantially help with some revenue, at least to cover the cost to a break-even point,” said Grant.

To make a donation to the B.C. Wildlife Park, click here.

A local man has started a GoFundMe account for the Wildlife Park. It can be found here.