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Vietnam's oldest zoo gets creative to raise funds

Vietnam’s oldest zoo struggles

to meet its daily running cost

of $7,740 a day

Location: Ho Chi Minh City

The 150-year-old zoo

was built in the French colonial era

and has a long history with locals

(SOUNDBITE) (Vietnamese) DIRECTOR OF THE ANIMALS DEPARTMENT, MAI KHAC TRUNG TRUC, SAYING:

"Regarding history and culture, this place was established by the French in the year 1864, so it has a long history that is rooted in the childhood of many citizens in this city and the surrounding areas."

As visitors number dwindled due to lockdown

the zoo called for donations

and received $100,000 within two days

Staff have taken a 30% pay cut

and started growing food for its residents

The zoo has also started selling fertilizer to farmers

and grown flowers to sell to the public

(SOUNDBITE) (Vietnamese) 22-YEAR-OLD ZOO VISITOR, HUYNH THI NHU VI, SAYING:

"I can see that the animals here are not having enough food, and I know that the employees here have taken pay cuts to help the animals, so today I came here to do the same thing, to contribute to improving the situation with the animals’ food."