Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, has written a letter to the Fiona Hyslop MSP, the SNP Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture, urging her to allow the reopening of Edinburgh Zoo.
In the letter the Scottish Conservative MSP expressed concern for the welfare of the animals and stated that a huge debt has already been incurred over lockdown by owners, RZSS.
The letter followed the announcement by the Scottish Government that the provisional date for the opening of the tourist industry would be the 15th July, meanwhile zoos and wildlife parks in England are being allowed to reopen from today (15th June).
Commenting further Mr Balfour said:
“The owners of Edinburgh Zoo have made it very clear that they are prepared to reopen soon and that they are going further and further into debt, which could ultimately be harmful to the animals.
The large amount of open spaces at Edinburgh Zoo make social distancing achievable and will allow for people to stay safe during their visit.
“The longer that the Scottish Government keep delaying the reopening of the zoo and similar tourist attractions, the more strain they are putting on individual businesses which is resulting in further damage to the economy as a whole.
“I urge the Scottish Government to reconsider this decision and allow the zoo to open by the end of the month.”