THE two metre social distancing rule is threatening the future of Colchester Zoo, the attraction’s boss has warned.

Dr Dominique Tropeano has called for the Government to step in to provide extra support to zoos, such as reducing the VAT rate, in order to help attractions survive.

He also warned it may take the zoo up to five years to recover from the crisis.

Dr Tropeano said the two metre social distancing rule was a serious threat to the zoo’s future, with visitors numbers restricted to 2,000 people when the attraction reopens today.

During a normal summer, Colchester Zoo would expect between 5,000 and 6,000 visitors each day.

Dr Tropeano said: “The way it is at the moment, unless the two metres becomes one metre, 2,000 is going to be about the number. That will not allow us to save money.

“If we have only 2,000 people per day it will only pay maybe the wages and the expenses.

“What we are not going to have is the reserve of finances we need in order to survive through the winter.”

Colchester Zoo opened to invited passholders and donors on Wednesday ahead of opening to the general public on Thursday.

In preparation for the real launch, staggered arrival times were in place, with groups of 200 people allowed in each half-hour and a one-way system operating around the park.

Feeding times and organised entertainment were cancelled, and some indoor attractions had to remain closed, including the giraffe and elephant houses and the orangutan building.

The giraffes and elephants can still be seen when they are in their outdoor enclosures.

Dr Tropeano said he was excited to see people coming through the zoo’s gates, but warned there were many difficult months still ahead.

He said: “I believe that the hardest time is to come. We’re now coming into the real world.

“We’ve had furlough, we have money in the bank, people are giving us money, we have survived.

“But what worries me is October, November, December, January, February, March - survival until Easter 2021.”

The zoo’s director is calling for the Government to reduce VAT for zoos from 20 per cent to 5 per cent to help attractions recover from the crisis.

But he said it could take “anything up to five years to recover”. from the hit during the pandemic.