Posted March 26, 2020 in News
A Spring message from our director
The morning light comes out earlier and the evening day light lasts longer. Spring has finally arrived.
The sun has been shining this week like a defiant symbol, whilst shrubs and trees seem to be talking to us, ‘look we are coming back to life after a long winter’.
Spring brings new vibrant colours and smell, and nature carries on its work whatever happens.
We have experienced the winter of discontent, with immense fires bringing destruction and death, then witnessed rivers breaking their banks and flooding villages and towns affecting the life of thousands of suffering people.
Now we face the challenge of a silent, dangerous and unforgiving Coronavirus affecting many of us, certainly our daily life.
Perhaps there is a message to consider, however, nature always resurrects our hopes for the future.
Spring also means babies, and soon we hope we will be able to announce to you a number of newly born babies here at the zoo, further proof that in spite of all life’s challenges we are facing there is a message that life and hope will go on.
However, here at our zoo I can see the same expression in the face of the animals and the face of staff. We are experiencing something exceptional; deserted cafes, empty viewing areas of animal enclosures, silence, lack of life, no children running with a smile, no mum or grandparent asking for directions, the time or where the nearest toilets are.
The keepers have to carry out their daily tasks to the very best of their ability, so have the gardeners planting, trimming and watering plants, ground people keeping everywhere safe and tidy, whilst the maintenance ensure boilers and mechanical or electrical plants like filtration are working well.
In administration, the staff have dealt with hundreds of customer queries over bookings, cancellations or just general enquiries.
The marketing team are busy ensuring you will be kept fully updated with our news, pictures and videos whilst we are closed. Just wanting to make sure you don’t forget us because we will not forget you.
The catering department is ensuring there is staff food available but the retail team is at a complete standstill.
Generally we are experiencing a feeling of sadness, even loneliness, as if we are not currently in the real world and soon someone is going to snap their fingers and by magic, like switching a light on and off, everything returns to normality.
Then there is a feeling of fear, will we survive with our huge daily cost and no basic income? Will people be able to afford to return? Will further restrictions be imposed and make our job harder? Will this world, as we have known it, be the same again?
Is it a reminder that we need to treat earth and life perhaps with more respect and to remember how beautiful this world can be?
So, I hope you will regularly follow our updates on social media, we all must remain in touch.
I hope I have not bored you, if not, thank you for reading, please follow the chief medical officer guidelines to keep you healthy and free of the virus.
Thank you also for your past and future support whenever that may be.
Kindest regards
From all of us here at Colchester Zoo
Dr DA Tropeano OBE
Managing Director
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