Lockdown stops Greek zoo from showing off newborns

Owners of the zoo said that the springtime is the best to visit and meet all the newborns, but the lockdown has made this impossible. Lack of visitors and the resulting loss of income was making things difficult for the zoo.

Spata: Newborn ring-tailed lemurs and meerkats at a Greek zoo will have to wait to meet an adoring public as the park remains closed as part of the coronavirus lockdown.

The animal's ring-tailed lemurs and meerkats were born after the Attica Zoological Park was closed to the public.

The zoo, located in Spata, east of Athens, welcomed four baby meerkats and five lemurs in the last month.

The owner of the zoo, Jean-Jacques Lesueur, said spring was normally the best season to visit and meet all the newborns, but the lockdown made this impossible.

He added the lack of visitors and the resulting loss of income was making things difficult for the zoo.

So far, it has managed to source most of the necessary food from local Greek providers.

Lesueur went on to express optimism that the zoo would be able to reopen its doors to the public in the second week of May.

The country's lockdown measures were due to expire April 27, but Greece’s government on Thursday extended them by one week to May 4.

(With inputs from AP)