ROYAL OAK, Mich. – The Detroit Zoo is set to reopen Monday, June 8 after being closed since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
ORIGINAL STORY: Detroit Zoo to reopen June 8 for members, with new procedures in place
It will be open to members for four days before allowing the general public inside.
Thousands of people would visit the Detroit Zoo every day, but now it will be limited to 1,000 with no more than 500 people on the zoo grounds at one time.
Detroit Zoo CEO Ron Kagan said they’re taking COVID-19 seriously and want to be careful about reopening.
Masks and social distancing will be mandatory with hand sanitizing station clearly marked. Indoor areas will be closed and tickets will be scanned digitally behind a shield.
“We really have eliminated almost all touch points,” Kagan said.
There’s also concerns about keeping animals from possible exposure to COVID-19.
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“I’m sure that a lot of people have heard about what happened in New York with the zoo there and lions and tigers becoming infected,” Kagan said. “We have to make sure that we’re doing everything that is within reason to not just protect each other, but also to make sure that it’s safe for the animals.”
The pandemic and subsequent closure has cost the Detroit Zoo millions of dollars every month.
“Unlike almost everywhere else, we couldn’t just close down,” Kagan said. “But of course, we still have to take care of all of the thousands of animals here.”
Revenue will begin to trickle in as visitors can book appointments online.
To find out more about the zoo’s reopening procedures click here.