Edinburgh Zoo Zoo facing takeover by Spanish firm after secret negotiations

Zoo facing takeover by Spanish firm after secret negotiations
Zoo facing takeover by Spanish firm after secret negotiations - Scotsman.com

Interesting new slant to the whole affair.

Peter Dickinson
Zoo News Digest

 

taken from the Blurb in the article.....

"The attraction is believed to be more than £1 million in debt and the society is understood to be facing a £15m bill to bring its infrastructure up to scratch."

That's one hell of a financial millstone to turn around - I know a couple of Giant Pandas will stick an extra million visitors through the turnstiles but Parques Reunidos are going to have to have some kind of very slick strategy to do that in a year?

Of the Zoo's they own/run I am most familiar with Blackpool and to be fair it has improved considerably over the years - what are the other attractions/zoos like that they control - do you knowledgeable people have the info on the kinds of things they might do to turn Edinburgh around?

On a postive note, history wise, I think Edinburgh can be justifiably proud of managing to remain 'independant' and operating for 100 years - no mean feat even if they have been taking some flak in the press recently. Personally I have not been up to Edinburgh Zoo for well over 15 years so I'm well overdue a visit.

 

A list of the zoos and aquariums they own here:

.: Parques Reunidos : .

 

You can't help but think that whatever they've done at Edinburgh Zoo, it wasn't all good

What a mess...

 

It does suggest an explanation for some of the recent upper management issues.
Not all of the published allegations, of course, but some of the very recent ones.

 

Ah, not a sale to the Spanish, but a lease...?

'We're not selling off Edinburgh Zoo' - Scotsman.com News

 

Have a guess how much Parques Reunidos is worth!

Article dated 18/11/2010

Candover's Parques Reunidos Sale Delayed Until Autumn-Sources American Greetings AM


Candover bought Parques Reunidos for around EUR900 million and had been hoping to get as much as EUR2 billion on a sale, according to a recent press report. -By Marietta Cauchi, Christopher Bjork and Jessica Hodgson of Dow Jones Newswires

 

Yes. It sounds like the same deal they did with Blackpool Council for the zoo. I think they have a 25 year lease.

NB: The original leasing of Blackpool Zoo was with Grant Leisure who sold it on to Parques Reunidos after a couple of years. This company also had some deaings with both Woburn Safari Park and ZSL in the past.

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Being £1m in debt might not be an issue if they can service the debt though I think it's fair to say that this latest development suggests they can't.

It feels a little sad that such a well-visited attraction, and one of my personal favourite UK zoos, should end up in such a mess (financial & otherwise).

I'm a little confused about the proposed deal -it seems a strange hybrid (charity leasing zoo to a commercial organisation), does anyone know of a similar set up in th UK or abroad? Finally I wonder if all the shenanigans will have any effect on their tresured royal charter?

 

Parques Reunidos has a business idea that I hate, (l'Oceanogràfic Valencia, zoo de Madrid,Faunia, Selwo Estepona,etc in Spain have managed by they) everything becomes opportunities for pay again: to feed some animals, enter in some facilities, a lot of soda machines, restaurants (of which there are many in their parks), expensive gifts and photo shops, and more, and animals appear to be in the 2nd term.
For They seems that the zoos are themed parks and not animal parks.

 

Well they haven`t done that yet with the ones they own over in the UK,I will say that since they have taken over both of the ones I have visited that are owned by them are much improved since they have! The only possible error was the Dinosaur Park at Blackpool but you can forgive them one mistake!!

 

I have often wondered why is it the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and Regents Park is just plain Zoological Society of London, I understand they were given the royal charter after a visit by King George VI and the Princess Margaret Rose, if that is the case then surely the Royal family have made many more visits than this to London Zoo, going back to the Queen visiting with her sister as small children, various new exhibits opened by members of the Royal family and not forgetting the Snowdon aviary

 

Obviously these people are in it to make money, there is no crime in that, you state that in your opinion the animals appear to be in the 2nd term, could you please elaborate.

 

The dinosaur park area pre-dates their tenure at Blackpool...so they can't be blamed for that!!

 

I have no real problem with income generation in zoos by the means outlined above, they have to make money to survive.

Moreover, PR have spent huge amounts of money on the animal facilities at Blackpool, e.g. the penguin exhibit and the total renovation of the sea lion exhibit. The facilities for animals in their other parks seem to be of a high standard. l'Oceanogràfic Valencia is a world class aquarium with very high standards as far as I can judge - I have had friends who have worked there.

There is a difference between exploitation and commercialisation. Maybe this is what Edinburgh needs. Certainly this is what happened many years ago when ZSL had a huge shake-up and employed Grant Leisure to oversea their operations for a number of years which basically saved London Zoo from closure.

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Although there have been big improvements at Blackpool, its not (yet) been across the board- Elephant and Great Ape(Orangutans in particular) accomodation is still the same-old and substandard.

 

Parques Reunidos have done a reasonable job in popularising Blackpool Zoo.the Oceanarium in Valencia is in parts fantastic but in one or two areas already tired and a little worn-these are mere asides really in the current Edinburgh fiasco.How a zoo that has had regular above-budget attendances can get itself in such a mess is beyond me, but even if there is a million pound loss Chester have proven that this can be turned around.What about Edinburghs non-vat status? Reunidos would have to increase entry prices by 20%just to maintain the same net income? And Dudley,Cricket St Thomas,Belle Vue and many more prove that if you play with the flame of corporate loss and profit you may well get your fingers burned

 

in the past 8 years Edinburgh Zoo has gone through at least 20 menu changes in their catering, countless Commerical Managers/Directors in charge of retail (food & non food), countless Directors of Development. The press/advertising departments have been through the same - only area that has been consistent is the Education and Animal departments

all the areas that have had the constant changes has been under the Director of Operations who is currently suspended

the zoo has spent more money on these things plus kids playparks than they have on animal enclosures during the 8 year period (except Budongo that cost over £6 million paid for by entrance fees plus fundraising)

the Penguin pool is a total disaster, it has not been painted in the 8 years I have been a member of RZSS but £50k for a kids soft play centre and £30k for a new 'bus' that takes people up to the top of the park (which was not used for 4/5 months when it was purchased) was found to be spent

the main problem with Edinburgh Zoo is the Board were willing to spend, but not on what was AND IS STILL required....the delapidated animal enclosures....

 

I think many people on here will sympathise with you, and others, at Edinburgh Zoo who are caught up in this mess, it is very frustrating when everyone who should know what is going on are in actual fact the last people to know what is happening!!

 

I certainly would not describe the penguin pool as a total disaster, personally I think it is one of the best zoological exhibits in the country, certainly agree however that the metal work is in need of a lick of paint, I don't think it has been painted since new nineteen years ago, also agree that money should be spent on animal enclosures before kid's playgrounds, spending large amounts of money on climbing frames, swings etc. is all very well when everything in the zoological garden is rosy, clearly at Edinburgh this is certainly not the case at the present time, and as for changing the menu in the cafeteria, it may have been changed many times but has always been ,in my opinion mediocre, should be a very interesting meeting this week.