{"id":257246,"date":"2020-04-27T12:31:58","date_gmt":"2020-04-27T02:31:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=257246"},"modified":"2020-07-31T10:40:00","modified_gmt":"2020-07-31T00:40:00","slug":"darling-downs-zoo-desperate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2020\/04\/27\/darling-downs-zoo-desperate\/","title":{"rendered":"Darling Downs Zoo ‘Desperate’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Member for Gympie and Shadow Agriculture Minister Tony Perrett<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

April 27, 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n

A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise funds to help Darling Downs Zoo survive the COVID-19 shutdowns.<\/p>\n

Shadow Agriculture Minister Tony Perrett said wildlife operators and zoos have been struggling to keep their animals fed and cared for due to the lack of income.<\/p>\n

He called on the State Government to step up their responsibility for regulating and maintaining animal welfare.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of these businesses have up to two thousand animals that need to be fed and cared for while the gates remain shut,\u201d Mr Perrett said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe situation is becoming more desperate by the hour.\u00a0Urgent assistance and support is needed to avoid this preventable disaster.”<\/p>\n

LNP Member for Condamine Pat Weir said that the Darling Downs Zoo was really struggling.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe situation at the Darling Downs Zoo is dire and desperate,\u201d Mr Weir said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know the owners and they are passionate about their animals and the position the closures are putting them in is devastating.<\/p>\n

\u201cDarling Downs Zoo has a $110,000 monthly bill just to keep the animals fed and cared for.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe zoo has even resorted to a GoFundMe page because they aren\u2019t hearing a word from the Palaszczuk Labor Government.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve taken the step of writing to Labor\u2019s Mark Furner calling on him to urgently do something for the benefit of these animals and this important small businesses in our local community.<\/p>\n

\u201cTime for the state to step up and help our exhibitors and zoos, otherwise there will be an animal welfare disaster in Queensland.\u201d<\/p>\n