The zoo received more than 20 tones of meat, fruits and vegetables donated by visitors, individuals and organisations in the city and neighbouring provinces.
More than VND2.5 billion (US$107,000) in cash was also included.
The donation began after the zoo’s social media campaign called for public donations launched last week following its closure due to the spread of the virus.
According to its managing board, the zoo is self-financed with income mostly from ticket sales. It closed for two months from March to May following COVID-19 containment measures. It reopened on May 15 and again closed on July 25 after the return of the coronavirus in Da Nang.
“We are facing challenges to keep our business alive. We called for help from the public to help us take care of around 1,500 animals, including hundreds of rare species,” said Mai Khac Trung Truc , head of the zoo’s animal division.
The zoo’s staff of 270 agreed to a 30 percent cut in their monthly salary in August while working full-time to care of the animals.
From May 15 to July 25, the zoo earned VND15 million ($645) a day from ticket sales, a significant drop from the pre-pandemic VND300 million ($12,900).
According to Truc , the zoo needs about VND6 billion ($259,000) per month to care for and feed its animals. Nearly five tones of meat, vegetables, fruits and leaves should be offered daily. These ingredients, supplied by the zoo’s partners alongside its own farm in Cu Chi District, should be clean, fresh and meet quality and disease checks before processing by specialists.
“My family donated 50 kilograms of vegetables, bananas and dragon fruit to the zoo after learning about its online call for donations,” said Tran Trung Tin, a resident of Cu Chi District, who takes his children to visit and camp at the zoo every summer.
“We believe the zoo will finally win over the virus,” he said.
The Sai Gon Zoo and Botanical Garden was established in 1895 and is the country’s largest zoo and botanical garden.
Located in Nguyen Binh Khiem Street in District 1 in downtown HCM City, it is home to hundreds of species of mammals, reptiles, birds and rare orchids and ornamental plants.
The zoo includes the Museum of Vietnamese History of more than 25,000 artefacts featuring the traditional culture of southern Vietnam.
It has worked with international organizations such as the South East Asian Zoos Association (SEAZA) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
