Michael “The Zoo Man” Hicks imagined this year would be the start of a promising new chapter at the Capital of Texas Zoo, but now worries the coroanvirus pandemic will instead bring a year of spiraling debt and no visitors for his lonely primates.
The Capital of Texas Zoo, the smallest in the state, saw its guest revenue jump by 250% after a video in September of the hippopotamus “Tank” crushing a blue-centered watermelon for a couple’s gender reveal went viral on the social media app TikTok.
But now, they have no guests. And the stark silence on the zoo grounds, save for the exchange of melodies from the menagerie’s exotic birds when they see the Zoo Man wander by, weighs heavily on Hicks. Calculating the potential loss in revenue would damage his spirits, he said.
“If this lasts six months to a year, we are going to be in real trouble,” Hicks said. “I could probably keep it going, but we’d be going further and further into debt.
“We’ve pulled every expenses we have up to this point,” he added. “Quantifying it isn’t going to do much good. It’s just going to make me a lot more nervous than I already am.”
The Capital of Texas Zoo sits in western Bastrop County near Cedar Creek, about 20 miles from downtown Austin. Revenue earned during spring break at the zoo makes up the majority of funds earned throughout the entire year, according to Hicks. Zookeepers previously had big plans for the March earnings.
Hicks said he hoped to dig a new well, buy a tractor, and expand many of the enclosures.
“We are always trying to improve the animals’ habitats, but that’s not something we will be able to do right now,” Hicks said.
As for the animals at the Capital of Texas Zoo — especially the lions, monkeys and otters — Hicks said they already miss interacting with guests each day. On Friday, the otters called out for attention, and Hicks happily obliged.
The two otters, which Hicks raised from pups and brings into his home on the zoo grounds for bedtime every night, muddied his freshly washed shirt. However, Hicks simply laughed and said, “It’s expected.”
“They are really bored,” Hicks said. “You try to spend a little more time with them and give them extra treats. But, they miss showing off for people.”
Over at the Austin Zoo in southwest Travis County, staff last week said not much has changed since the coronavirus pandemic, apart from the lack of guests.
Scott Chambers, director of animal care & veterinary service, said his animals seem to be enjoying the extra time they’re receiving from zookeepers.
“It buys us a little more time to spend with them by not having the guests here,” Chambers said. “Primates might be wondering where the people have gone, but they’re enjoying themselves. All of our animals here are getting enriched twice a day without fail.”
Keepers at both the Austin Zoo and Capital of Texas Zoo have reinforced their sanitation and social distancing standards, not only for themselves but with the zoo animals, after a tiger at the Bronx Zoo tested positive for COVID-19.
“We’ve got face masks and gloves and are really doing our part to disinfect everything,” Chambers said. “We’re maintaining our distance from as many animals as we can, a 6-foot minimum. We’re staying away from touching our big cats, but aren’t overly concerned.”
“I take care of the big cats personally,” Hicks added, going off onto a trail of stories about raising them as cubs. “It scares me that everyone is at risk, not just the big cats, so we’re taking every precaution we can and that’s the best we can do.“
Austin Zoo officials said last year 44,000 guests visited the property in March and April, which amounts about a quarter to one-third of its annual income. The earnings cover the operating costs during slower months, according to Chambers.
“Without people coming through the door, it’s going to hit us really hard,” Chambers said.
Both Chambers and Hicks said past visitors have already begun to donate meat and produce, which along with money, is greatly needed.
“It takes on average a minimum of $10,000 to feed a big cat each year,” Chambers said. “So food, meat and monetary donations are always helpful.”
CORONAVIRUS IN TEXAS: What we know, latest updates
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