DUBLIN ZOO IS estimating that the cost of managing the virus outbreak that claimed the lives at the zoo of two young Asian elephants, Avani and Zinda, this summer will be between €100,000 and €150,000.

That is according to a spokesman for Dublin Zoo who said today that “Dublin Zoo continues to incur significant costs related to managing the Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV) outbreak”.

In July, Dublin Zoo announced that two elephants, Asha (17) and Samiya (10), had tested positive for the virus following the deaths of two other Asian elephants in the zoo, Avani (8) and Zinda (7). 

The virus can remain dormant in elephants for years, but when active it can lead to internal bleeding and later death. Not much is known about the EEHV virus at this time, but research continues.

Last month, Dublin Zoo announced a clean bill of health for its Asian elephant herd after hundreds of hours of dedicated care from Dublin Zoo staff, along with support from international veterinary experts, other zoos, and co-operation from An Garda Síochána, as well as the Irish and British governments.

The Dublin Zoo spokesman said that the additional resources in managing the outbreak included veterinary care, additional staffing, medicines, transportation, and administration.

He said: “The total cost of addressing the outbreak is expected to reach six figures, estimated between €100,000 and €150,000. These efforts reflect our ongoing commitment to the health and welfare of our animals.”

Given the seriousness of EEHV, Dublin Zoo animal care and veterinary teams worked round the clock, spending hundreds of hours on site during the crisis.

The Zoo has stated that as just one example of the team’s commitment and unwavering care that played a massive role in the elephant’s recovery, “vet Niamh McGill was just back from maternity leave and had her husband bring their baby to the Zoo so she could breastfeed him while caring for the elephants”.

Dublin Zoo revealed the cost of managing the virus outbreak today after the newly released 2023 annual report for the Zoological Society of Ireland shows that the wettest July on record last year contributed to a 9% drop in visitor numbers to 1.16m at Dublin Zoo that comprised 937,921 day visitors to the zoo and 224,016 visitors to Wild Lights.

The Zoological Society of Ireland’s accounts concern the operation of Dublin Zoo and Fota Island Wildlife park in Cork and additional costs along with the bad weather impact contributed to an operating loss of €486,000 which followed an operating surplus of €1.09m in 2022.

In his report, Dublin Zoo Director, Dr Christoph Schwitzer said: “Inclement weather, particularly in July, had an irrecoverable impact on our visitor numbers.”

Revenues at the Society increased by 2pc from €24.63m to €25.1m.

The operating loss takes account of non-cash depreciation charges of €4.14m.

The spokesman said that Dublin Zoo recording an operating surplus before depreciation costs are taken into account.

He said that Dublin Zoo “is pleased to report a successful financial performance in 2023” and that the operating surplus before depreciation “strengthens our capacity to fund important conservation efforts and invest in capital projects”.

On the 2024 performance, the spokesman said: “Dublin Zoo is seeing positive trends in visitor numbers for 2024, with attendance so far performing better than in 2023″.

He said: “Despite broader industry challenges, as highlighted in the recent Fáilte Ireland Tourism Barometer, where many businesses reported a decline in customer numbers during the summer, Dublin Zoo has managed to buck this trend.”

Revenues for the combined Dublin Zoo and Fota Wildlife Park operations were last year made up of €16.64m in gate income, €3.5m in shop income, €2.9m in annual pass and membership income and €1.97m in ‘other income’.

Numbers employed increased from 175 to 181 as staff costs rose from €7.6m to €8m. Pay to 19 key management personnel totalled €1.47m.

The Society’s total spend last year increased by €2.05m from €23.53m to €25.59m.

The society’s total funds at the end of last year amounted to €35.65m while its cash funds totalled €13.4m.