Charity funds boost for Edinburgh Zoo following Scottish Government's plea to China

A crowdfunder has been launched by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) to give animal lovers the chance to enjoy exciting experiences at Edinburgh Zoo and help the wildlife conservation charity recover from the closure of its parks throughout lockdown.

The zoo have partnered with eco-brand The Cheeky Panda which has donated £50,000 to the fundraiser

The launch coincides with National Panda Day and comes after a plea from the Scottish Government to China for help as country’s only resident Giant Pandas as Edinburgh Zoo struggled with the financial implications of the coronavirus lockdown.

Eco-brand The Cheeky Panda have donated £50,000 to the crowdfunder, with all funds raised being used to feed the zoo’s animals.

Animal lovers taking part can choose from a range of experiences and gifts, including memberships, adoptions, virtual tours and feeding giraffes when the magnificent animals arrive at the zoo later this year.

David Field, RZSS chief executive, said: “Closing our parks due to the pandemic has cost our charity more than £2 million. With a food bill of £60,000 a month, every donation, membership, adoption and experience will help feed our amazing animals and give them the very best of care.

“Recently we launched a prize draw for a behind the scenes visit to the zoo which raised more than £70,000, with the winner being announced this week.

“Now we have opened Edinburgh Zoo again, we want to help people get close to nature once more and enjoy incredible experiences and rewards.

“Crowdfunder choices include memberships, mystery animal magic moments and being among the first to feed our giraffes. Companies can also get involved through virtual tours for their staff and by sponsoring animal enclosures.

“We would like to pay a special thanks to The Cheeky Panda, who have helped us launch our Crowdfunder with a very generous donation of £50,000.”

The Cheeky Panda provides sustainable products made from eco-friendly fast-growing bamboo.

Chris Forbes, The Cheeky Panda founder, said, “We are proud to be supporting Edinburgh Zoo because we love big, bamboo-munching, black and white bears and we both share a passion for conservation.

“We want to work with this special zoo to raise awareness of the need to protect wildlife worldwide and create a more sustainable planet for future generations.”

To support the crowdfunder and find out more you can do so on the website. T&Cs apply.

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