After three-month shutdown, Wuhan Zoo to reopen gates

Following the lifting of Wuhan's 76-day lockdown on April 8, the Wuhan Zoo will reopen to the public on Wednesday. The zoo closed down on January 22, one day before authorities announced a citywide lockdown.

Even though the zoo turned to the internet to livestream its animals during the outbreak, netizens in China are showing great excitement over the opportunity to see their furry friends again in person. The hashtag for the zoo's reopening had earned 10.74 million views on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo as of Tuesday afternoon.

During their three-month separation from the public, the animals seem to have been busy procreating. Two baby milus (a species of deer native to the river valleys of China), one pony and five black swans have come into the world at the zoo. The ruddy shelduck, red-crowned crane, bar-headed goose and Australian coot are also welcoming new lives into their families.

While most netizens have focused on the cuteness of various animals, saying that they cannot wait to see these fuzzy animals again, some expressed concerns about whether the zoo was reopening too soon. 

"We will do our job at our end such as thoroughly disinfecting everything and other measures. We also hope that visitors will fully cooperate and follow the rules such as scanning the QR codes (to enter), getting their temperatures taken, wearing masks at all times and keeping an appropriate amount of distance from each other. This will require effort from both sides," the Wuhan Zoo told the Global Times on Tuesday in response to netizens' concerns.

The zoo has also set a limit of 15,000 visitors during peak visiting hours during the day. Indoor areas, such as where parrots live, will remain closed. Meanwhile, all animal feeding activities will be suspended. 

 

Meanwhile, Katharina Sperling with the Zoo Berlin in Germany, told the Global Times on Monday in an email that while the zoo has been working hard to ensure the wellbeing of their animals, including the two giant panda twins Mengyuan and Mengxiang from China, they have been dealing with a lack of revenue and other financial difficulties.

"I guess the zoo can try online exhibitions or livestreams and ask for public donations to help them through these difficult times," Hualuochengshi, a Chinese science blogger with more than 4 million followers on Sina Weibo, told the Global Times. 

He further noted that livestreaming may benefit both the animals and people, as the latter can seek comfort from them. He pointed to the Leningrad Zoo in Russia as an example.

According to stories, although people were suffering from a food shortage during World War II, they kept their beloved African elephant fed and healthy as a symbol of hope and a reminder of good times.

"No matter if it's the Wuhan Zoo, or any zoo in China or abroad, animals have a great healing power that can give us comfort. They will help us face and get through these difficulties," he said.