If you think domestic animal care is costly, imagine trying to feed lions, tigers, and bears. Add birds, penguins, lizards, otters, hippopotamuses, giraffes, zebras, gorillas, and kangaroos to the mix, and, well, you might be out a head-spinning, stomach-churning $30,000 per day.
Regardless of how you feel about zoos and aquariums in general — because, yes, ideally we all want to live in a world where all animals could live forever/roam free and safe from poachers and global warming — this is the reality for many of America's accredited zoos and aquariums that have been impacted by pandemic-related closures, re-opening restrictions, and mounting maintenance costs, including our very own Detroit Zoo.
Well, no need to say whiskey lulla-bye to your favorite zoo creatures (all 2,500 of them) just yet, as some financial reinforcement for America's zoos and aquariums is coming by way of a virtual country music concert featuring some of the genre's biggest stars.
The All Together For Animals virtual benefit concert has enlisted country music icon Brad Paisley, along with Old Dominion, Ashley McBryde, Wynonna, Riley Green, Jessie James Decker, and Shy Carter. The one-day special event will be live-streamed from the Nashville Zoo, as well as Nashville's Steel Mill Studios at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 31.
Last May, the Detroit Zoo reported it had lost $2.5 million per month after it was forced to close in March. The zoo, which reopened with capacity restrictions in June, will receive 50% of all tickets purchased for the All Together for Animals benefit and 100% of any additional donations. The funds will go towards maintaining animal habitats, as well as health, wellness, and food.
For more information, visit AlltogetherForAnimals.com. For tickets that will directly benefit the Detroit Zoo, go to aftontickets.com.
Lastly, to learn about the Detroit Zoological Society's in-person and virtual programming as well as sneak peeks at new additions, like these insanely adorable baby polar bears, visit DetroitZoo.org.
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