Clwyd West MS Darren Millar has welcomed news that Colwyn Bay’s Welsh Mountain Zoo will be reopening in just over two weeks’ time.
Like many zoos, aquariums and animal attractions in Wales, the Welsh Mountain Zoo has been struggling to make ends meet as a result of their closure in March due to the coronavirus pandemic and Darren and his Welsh Conservative colleagues have been leading a campaign calling for it to be allowed to reopen.
The First Minister announced on Friday that the Welsh Government intends to scrap its arbitrary five mile travel restriction and allow outdoor visitor attractions such as zoos to reopen, and as a result of these changes the Welsh Mountain Zoo is planning to open its gates to the public again on the 13th July.
Darren said:
“This is absolutely fantastic news and I’m very much looking forward to visiting the zoo myself on reopening day.
“The zoo was forced to closed back in March and has therefore missed out on the busy Easter period and the May half term. My Welsh Conservative colleagues and myself repeatedly called on the Welsh Government to support them amid this pandemic, but sadly the support was insufficient, placing the zoo in a desperately worrying predicament.
“Their reopening therefore can’t come soon enough for them and I am very pleased that it will be in time for the school summer holidays.
“The Welsh Mountain Zoo is a fantastic tourist attraction here in North Wales and was going from strength to strength prior to this pandemic. We can all help get it back on track by making sure we visit once it reopens.
“In the meantime, as the reopening date is still a couple of weeks away, it is important that we all continue to do what we can to support the Welsh Mountain Zoo.
“The way in which the Welsh Government has failed to adequately support our zoos and their animals amid this pandemic is appalling and people can rest assured that I will continue to hold them to account for this failure.”