It’s a sad day for Artis.
Lockdown after lockdown has left Artis Zoo with no option but to say goodbye to the beloved Artis lions. The zoo hasn’t been making enough money lately to keep the lions in Amsterdam and they will soon be shipped off to a zoo in France on February 15. The sad fact is that a lot of zoos and other attractions are struggling because of the pandemic, on every continent and in a lot of different countries.[Photo: @ARTIS]
These lions really are iconic and they are almost mascots for the zoo. However, the director has said that Artis cannot afford to expand the lion enclosure, whereas the french zoo has the facility to keep them in a much larger enclosure. So, it’s good news for the wellbeing of the Artis lions but Amsterdam will miss them.
Artis only saw half of its usual footfall last year and it was forced to close three times. Moreover, it costs about 60,000 euros a year just to maintain the zoo and keep it functioning as a zoo. Right now, the zoo is making decisions that will help it preserve the funds it has managed to earn, for the wellbeing of all of its animals.
Those who love Artis can show their support, with the #vergeetARTISniet (don’t forget Artis) hashtag on social media. From the weekend onwards there will also be a podcast available to watch called ‘Artis vergeet je niet’, in which celebrities will talk about the zoo and why they love it.