Thank you to all our supporters for your kind messages at this difficult time. We have been overwhelmed by our wonderful members and supporters getting in touch to ask how they can help in the aftermath of Storm Ciarán, and we are so grateful to those who have kindly donated already. We can’t begin to imagine how some islanders will have been impacted by the storm and our hearts go out to all those affected.

As you know, the zoo remains closed to the public. Tragically, we have lost one flamingo and a chestnut-backed thrush due to the impacts of the storm. Lots of trees have fallen around the site, and several buildings have been damaged. Sadly, our organic farm has been destroyed and some of our animal enclosures have been affected. We are so grateful to our dedicated team, who continue to closely monitor and care for our animals while the clear-up mission takes place.

Our incredible animal keepers and grounds team are working tirelessly to clear up the site and repair any damage to enclosures. Our priority is to ensure the site is safe before we can welcome back our visitors.

It’s estimated that the cost of the damage caused by Storm Ciarán could be up to £200,000, plus the additional losses in revenue due to the closure of the zoo. While we hope that most of this will be covered by our insurance, this isn’t guaranteed, and will take some time to submit and process a claim.

The destruction of our onsite organic farm will have immediate and long-term consequences. Last year, the use of eco-friendly farming methods resulted in the harvest of over 3000kg of produce. This food is used to feed the zoo’s animals, some of whom have extremely specific dietary requirements. The loss of our organic farm will mean that we will need to purchase additional food to feed our animals.

As a charity, we rely entirely on support from members, visitors and donors to look after the animals at Jersey Zoo and to continue our vital conservation work protecting precious ecosystems and threatened wildlife across the globe.

If you would like to make a donation to help us get back on our feet, we have set up a fundraising appeal. Any donation big or small makes a huge difference.

You can also help by:

- Joining as a member

- Shopping with us

- Fundraising for Durrell

Please contact supportercare@durrell.org or call 01534 860111 for further information.

Thank you from Team Durrell