'Hammered' by COVID, effort underway to save Capron Park Zoo in Attleboro
ATTLEBORO - An effort is underway to help save the Capron Park Zoo in Attleboro after the pandemic created a tough financial situation.
"COVID, like a lot of institutions, hammered us," explained Capron Park Zoo Director Lew Stevens.
Zoo visitors enjoying Tuesday's weather tell WBZ they're holding out hope that new funding will help keep the zoo around.
"It would be a huge loss for the community, it's just a wonderful source of education and pleasure," said Christine Duquette of North Attleboro.
The zoo has been drawing in families like hers since 1937. "I brought my children here when they were little," added Duquette.
Attleboro Mayor Cathleen DeSimone is now providing nearly $500,000 to the zoo in pandemic relief funding.
"They closed, and the expenses remained. You have to take care of the animals," said Mayor DeSimone.
The money from the American Rescue Plan Act replaces just some of the revenue that the zoo lost over the course of the pandemic.
"2020 was the worst. That was about $470,000 lost," said Stevens.
That's the exact amount of money Mayor DeSimone is now allotting back to Capron Park Zoo.
"The zoo has been with us for almost a hundred years. It's way too meaningful to the city for many reasons, to let it go," she said.
The zoo's eight acres saw no visitors for months after it shut down in March 2020, meaning no sales during their most popular time of year.
Mayor DeSimone continued, "We're entering that season now with schools being on vacation and weather getting nicer, the season is picking up, so it was a big hit."
The money is just a short-term fix. The city is also creating a new task force made up of residents and zoo staff to evaluate and create a plan for the zoo's future.
The zoo is an economic force for the city, bringing in thousands of visitors to Attleboro each year.
"People come from surrounding cities and towns just to visit Capron," said Mayor DeSimone.
Families hope officials are able to come up with a successful plan so kids can continue to come and enjoy the zoo for another near 100 years.
"It's pretty much just like a big park for everybody," one fifth grader told WBZ.
The new task force's first meeting is this Friday, April 14th.