The $94.6 million will be used to pay for the cost of caring for animals and keep the operations afloat until travel and other coronavirus restrictions are eased.
Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham said zoos and aquariums have seen their revenue streams dry up during the crisis.
“It’s absolutely crucial our iconic zoos and aquariums can still operate on the other side and play a major role in helping our tourism industry to recover from this,” he said today.
Australia’s zoos and aquariums attract more than 20 million visitors a year.
“We also shouldn’t underestimate the huge positive flow-on effects our zoos and aquariums provide to our economy,” Birmingham said.
“They bring thousands of visitors into communities who then spend millions of dollars visiting other attractions, sleeping in our hotels and dining in our restaurants.”
Apparently zoos can face costs of up to $500,000 to maintain a large chimpanzee exhibit, such as at Taronga Zoo in Sydney, or Monarto Zoo in South Australia.
A large herd of elephants at a zoo like Melbourne or Western Plains will eat more than $100,000 in hay a year.
A single lion needs about $250 in red meat a week, or $13,000 worth of red meat in a year.
