Rotterdam’s Town council wants to reduce by 80% its financial contribution to Rotterdam Zoo (Diergaarde Blijdorp) to an unacceptable minimum, within the next few years.
On October 27, the council groups of PvdA, CDA, VVD and D66 (representing the majority) expressed their support for this ill-fated plan! This means that the survival of the Zoo is at stake! The Council states that the Zoo is one of Rotterdam’s commercially most successful organisations, and therefore subsidy reduction is an appropriate measure. The foundation “Friends of Blijdorp” argue that addressing the Zoo as a commercially active organisation is not correct. That, for instance restoring the old listed buildings, of which there are many in the Zoo, cannot be the sole responsibility of a commercial institution like Blijdorp and that financial support by the Council is necessary and inevitable. Therefore, action will be taken, and the Board and Council of Rotterdam will be requested to adapt this unacceptable plan. (Source: NRC, 22.10.2010; website Rotterdam Zoo)