I HAVE always had a slightly unusual relationship with Edinburgh Zoo. As a child I struggled with the idea of animals being hemmed in, before I came to realise, even treasure, my near neighbour’s contribution to conserving the planet’s wildlife and the discoveries it offered.
I even find it oddly reassuring in these hushed Covid-19 days that the roars of its lion population are clearly audible as I walk the dog along the nearby cycle path.
So the thought that they, our panda visitors from China and so many others might be in danger of losing their Corstorphine home to the financial hardships created by the pandemic, seems the oddest of animal cruelties.
This week that fear prompted me to join MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton in launching a petition to re-open the zoo.
That is not to say that its plight is more pressing than that of our other major employers, of the thousands of individuals of who face an uncertain financial future, or of the many more who are grieving.
No. But it does highlight that this virus is attacking parts of our society in ways that we are only just beginning to notice.
Chatting recently with David Field, the new CEO of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) I learned that, even though it could be ready to open by the end of the month, lockdown has taken a heavy toll.
On Saturday the RZSS issued a statement showing that the conservation charity has already had to borrow £5 million due to the closure of both Edinburgh Zoo and its Highland Wildlife Park.
Continued lockdown restrictions which meant the attractions being closed over the peak summer months would be, it claims, “financially disastrous”.
For every single month the zoo stays shut, it faces costs of £700,000, and that is with most of the staff already on furlough.
And the possibility that one of Europe’s leading centres of conservation, education and research could go under with the loss of at least 300 jobs in Edinburgh West alone, cannot be discounted.
Within 48 hours of the petition’s launch, more than 3,000 people had signed it. Many of us, myself included, also signed up to pay an annual subscription to the RZSS.
Testament to the public popularity of zoo and its wildlife park cousin.
Yet, the First Minister reaffirmed the Scottish Government’s position at FMQs this week that, even though zoos south of the Border re-opened yesterday will be re-opening as soon as 15th June, Edinburgh Zoo will remain closed.
Not just for another week, but until 15th July at least – a whole month later than other parts of the UK. The First Minister said she was reluctant to open Edinburgh Zoo, only for it to have to close again if the virus has a second surge.
That is despite the fact that the RZSS has a plan which includes social distancing, closing indoor areas, limiting visitor numbers and selling tickets online with time slots which can be monitored.
And what is the scientific evidence for keeping it shut, with golf courses and garden centres already open again?
Not only will the prolonged closure have a serious impact on the future of the zoo itself, and the Capital as a whole, but it will also be detrimental to the world leading sustainability and environmental work by RZSS, such as saving the Scottish Wildcat.
Surely, with secure Covid restrictions in place, Edinburgh Zoo would be as safe, possible safer than public parks or crowded beaches.
So why is the Scottish Government dragging its heels in comparison to the rest of the UK?
Zoos across Europe have also begun to re-open as the educational, physical and mental health benefits of being outside, breathing fresh air and taking in nature become important to our personal recovery. The Scottish Government would do well to follow their example.
There are more generations of Scottish youngsters for whom the zoo could provide a vital introduction to the world’s wildlife.
Christine Anne Jardine is a Scottish Liberal Democrat MP.
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