BBCCosts must be cut and more money raised for Jersey’s only zoo after a loss of £4.8m in 2024, bosses have said.
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (DWCT) said in its latest report that visitor numbers had dropped from 209,474 in 2023 to 175,940 in 2024. It also saw its donations from people and businesses fall.
Members of the DWCT voted against its board of trustees resigning in 2024 after an extraordinary general meeting was held over concerns about how the zoo was operated.
The directors said it had been a “challenging time financially”.
“While most income sources tracked in line with previous years, there was a marked decline in donation income, welcome coupled with an increase in expenses, largely due to economic volatility, high inflation rates and statutory raises in minimum and living wages,” they said.
The DWCT said it had managed to spend less than its budget, despite investment in new facilities which included a gorilla enclosure.
It added that it was a critical time for the organisation and that it wanted to find ways to make it more efficient while raising more money.
“Our focus during 2025 and beyond is on financial sustainability through cost reductions, operational efficiencies and considered investment to support income generation,” the directors added.