Irish Examiner view: Fota Wildlife Park merits State support

We wholeheartedly endorse the appeal for support from Fota Wildlife Park as it remains shut amid the bird flu outbreak

Visitors taking in the safari scene earlier this year on the plains at Fota Wildlife Park, Cork — which is both a popular visitor attraction and a major player internationally in breeding programmes to preserve endangered species. Picture: Chani Anderson

Fota Wildlife Park was closed on October 14 due to a bird flu outbreak, and it was announced earlier this week that the park will be closed until the end of November at least.

This is worrying news for the beloved park in East Cork. The closure is costing Fota €320,000 a month in lost revenue, and officials have estimated that it missed out on as many as 14,000 visitors over the mid-term break alone.