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Oakland zoo cuts staff
Oakland zoo cuts staff because of coronavirus
OAKLAND, Calif. - The Oakland Zoo has already spent one-third of it's $4.5 million dollar reserve fund to make sure their animals are taken care of.
Since the zoo closed in mid-March, they’ve laid off 110 part-time employees, which is almost two-thirds of its workforce.
According to SF Gate, zookeepers and veterinary staff had their pay cut by 20 percent, and executives had theirs cut by 40 percent.
The president and CEO said the cuts are to ensure the 700 animals at the zoo are still fed and cared for.
And while the public can’t physically see the animals in person, the zoo is now allowing them to see them virtually via an interactive live stream dubbed “Behind the Scenes Live,” that lets viewers message questions directly to zookeepers in real-time while getting a behind-the-scenes broadcast of the zoo.