Lucas' mate is late

Laura Koch, Gleaner Intern

Although the container for her transport was already sent overseas, the long-anticipated mate for Lucas the lion has not yet arrived at the Hope Zoo.

" We had originally said she would be arriving in the first quarter of this year, but it will take longer than that", zoo curator Orlando Robinson told The Gleaner in a recent interview, adding, "It's a work in progress."

The lioness is located in Colorado, United States of America, but will first have to be transferred to California before reaching Jamaica, Robinson explained.

To find Lucas' partner, the Hope Zoo administration had set up some criteria.

Having been hand-reared, five-year old Lucas has never previously lived with a mate. Plus, Robinson said the zoo wanted to have a female that's a little older than Lucas. "Hopefully, when we do an introduction and he tries anything, she can stand her ground, Robinson said."

But the lioness is not the only new inhabitant planned for the zoo in 2014.

"We are looking on some more animals this year," Robinson stated. Among them are supposed to be more lemurs, mandrills and elands, the curator said. Also, there is the possibility of getting jaguars.

Increased fees

Since the Hope Zoo increased entry fees in July last year, faced criticism from the public. "We had got the feedback through Facebook and the press", Robinson said, adding that the number of visitors to date had not declined.

Prior to the increase, adults paid $500 and children $300. Now, fees are $1500 for adults and $1000 for children.

"Now that we have a zoo of higher quality, it's an investment we must maintain," Robinson said, adding that Lucas alone devours meat valued at $2 million a year. "What we earn at the gate is a fraction of what is required to maintain the zoo," he explained. But through some special group packages, they try to "meet people halfway".

Although there are some major sponsors, it is still struggling. After taking over running the property two years ago, administrators are now hoping to once again get Government support. "We are certainly trying to help ourselves," Robinson stated. These initiatives include earning extra revenue from events such as birthday parties, workshops, corporate meetings, retreats, and weddings.

Chairman of the foundation and head of the Guardsman Group, Kenneth Benjamin, has been a major player in the process of restoring the Hope Zoo, and he hopes that other corporate sponsors will come on board to improve the financial health of the zoo.

"There are very few green spaces left in Kingston," said Benjamin, in defence of the Hope Zoo. He noted that families can now enjoy the facility together, as they have even added cable connection so that dads may watch their favourite games while visiting.