A WILDLIFE park has revealed the 'financial burden' the coronavirus lockdown has had on the business and how the animals have been missing visitors.

Beale Wildlife Park, near Pangbourne, closed to the public on March 22 due to the pandemic.

The park first opened to the public in 1956 and is home to a unique collection of animals - such as alpacas, otters, macaws, meerkats, and lemurs - some of which are rare and endangered.

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Andrew Nicholls is the park’s curator and is responsible for managing the zoo’s animals and staff members.

He described how the park 'has been a very unusual place since lockdown'.

He added: "We are used to the park being closed to the public in the depths of winter but normally in the summer and especially on the good weather days the park would be full of visitors."

The park also has a paddling pool for little children, several playgrounds and a train.

Andrew went on to explain there have been four members of the animal team working during lockdown with two working each day covering the week.

He said: "Many of the animals are definitely missing the visitors but on the other side we do have a few birds that have nested in some unusual places and seem to have taken advantage of there being less disturbance."

As well as the animals missing visitors, the wildlife park has taken a financial hit during the pandemic.

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The curator said: “Beale Wildlife Park relies on its visitor numbers through the summer as its main source of income.”

He explained the park closed earlier this year after what had already 'been a disappointing start to the year weather wise'.

Being closed has caused 'huge financial damage' for the business, he said.

The latest update regarding the easing of lockdown means Zoos and safari parks are getting ready to welcome visitors after being given the go-ahead today to open their doors from June 15 in the latest lockdown easing.

It is among the latest restrictions being lifted, and is expected to be on the agenda for today's daily briefing with more details from the government.

Speaking prior to this announcement, Andrew said: “We don’t understand why we and other zoos, wildlife parks and safari parks have been forbidden to open while beaches and public parks fill with people in a completely unregulated way.

“We have done a detailed risk assessment with our insurers in order to make the park Covid safe and will be limiting daily numbers and ensuring people interact with the park, the animals and our staff in a way that keeps everyone safe.

“We need to open so that we can start offsetting some of the huge financial damage that has taken place.”

New measures being introduced at zoos across the country include extra hand-sanitiser stations and at the ZSL London Zoo coloured paw prints have been painted onto the ground to mark one-way trails for visitors.