- The Boissière-du-Doré zoo was able to reopen after presenting a file justifying sanitary measures.
- This first week is a "test" before the May bridges.
- The two months of inactivity are a "disaster" for the park, which had just invested heavily.
“To see the visitors again is a great pleasure. We do this job to give them emotions. And then the financial situation became catastrophic. There was absolute urgency. Sébastien Laurent, director of the zoo at La Boissière-du-Doré (Loire-Atlantique), east of Nantes, does not hide his "relief". Like several French animal parks and some leisure parks, his zoo got the green light from the prefect to reopen in the first week of deconfinement. He had previously had to submit a “solid file” justifying that the health security measures could be respected.
"We installed plexiglass walls at the counters, installed hydroalcoholic gel dispensers, reduced catering, spaced out tables in rest areas, suspended bird shows and public feeding," describes Sébastien Laurent. We put everything in place so that people are reassured. "
Low attendance
Unlike other zoos, that of Boissière-du-Doré did not have to review its paths. “The visit is made in one direction and our aisles are wide enough to respect the distance. As for the mask, it is not compulsory but "highly recommended". This weekend, which was a "test before the bridges of Ascension and Pentecost", more than one in two visitors wore it. Attendance was, moreover, relatively modest (nearly 600 visitors on Saturday while the site generally receives more than 1,000).
"There is room, we are outdoors, we feel safe," says Karine, who came with the family. "We feel that people are paying attention," confirms Eric. After two months of confinement, it's really good to find contact with nature and animals. Especially for children. Christophe, too, is "delighted to be able to return to the zoo". But he is not yet completely convinced by respecting distances. “When there are animals that move, like the bears earlier, we see groups of people. Like the vivarium, everyone was close and put their hands on the windows. There may still be improvements. "" There are new habits to establish. People's civility will do the rest, ”is convinced Sébastien-Laurent.
Generosity after the director's call for help
Closed for two months, the Boissière-du-Doré zoo, 100% private, is already losing revenue of 900,000 euros. A loss of earnings all the more detrimental since he had just made his biggest investment (1.1 million euros) to create a plain of 2 ha for his lions, associated with three lodges. "We work with the living, we are not a company that can stop its machines," explains Sébastien Laurent. Our animals were, of course, fed as usual during confinement. We also had to manage all cancellations, postponements. I can tell you that I spent several nights without sleeping. "
The zoo was nevertheless able to benefit from a burst of generosity after launching a “call for help” on social networks. “We received 45,000 euros in various donations. It is the equivalent of two months of feeding. We also had hundreds of messages, children's drawings. It is heartwarming. "
Distrustful, the zoo director refuses to expect attendance for this summer. “People are going to do French and local tourism, that's for sure. It can be beneficial. But, if there is a second wave of the virus, what will happen? The Boissière-du-Doré zoo, which employs 32 people during the peak season, welcomed around 150,000 visitors last year.
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- Deconfinement
- Coronavirus
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- Nantes
- Covid 19
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- Zoo