File photo: CFP

A popular zoo in Nanjing of East China's Jiangsu Province asked the public for donations to "adopt" their animals after an article circulating on social media revealed that the zoo could not afford to pay its employees' salaries due to the deficit it suffered in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic. 

According to the article released on WeChat on Tuesday, the Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo had given priority to its animals and failed to pay its employees. Since over 80 percent of the zoo's income comes from ticket sales, the zoo suffered a deficit of over 30 million yuan in 2020, accounting for 40 percent of its yearly income in previous years. 

An employee from the zoo told the Global Times on Thursday on the condition of anonymity that although the zoo is a public institution, meaning it receives financial support from the local government when constructing facilities, it is self-sustained through its ticket sales. 

The COVID-19 epidemic since the beginning of 2020 severely affected the number of visits paid to the zoo, which contributed to the current financial predicament. 

Since the article went viral on the internet, the zoo has received many phone calls from warm-hearted residents and companies that express their willingness to donate and "adopt" the animals by paying for their living expenses and help the zoo get out of the trouble. 

The financial troubles that the zoo is suffering from is similar to the situation many other domestic zoos are facing due to the COVID-19 epidemic. However, besides revenue from ticket sales, some zoos also profit from charging for projects they organize to cover some losses. 

An employee from the Shanghai Zoo told the Global Times on Thursday that their zoo still organized its traditional fee-charging parent-child activities when the epidemic was curbed last year. 

The zoo also organized live-streaming events of the animals, which were free of charge, to ensure zoo enthusiasts could still interact with the zoo animals. 

Although the employees' incomes were affected during the epidemic, the zoo in Shanghai, supported by local government, did not suffer any major financial difficulties, unlike the zoo in Nanjing. 

The Hongshan Forest Zoo's poor financial situation has since aroused attention from the local government in Nanjing, who is now thinking about possible methods to bail the zoo out of its current financial difficulties, according to the employee from the zoo.