It's been revealed the Isle of Wight Zoo will host a 'live' show from its Sandown site, which will guest star Trustee Chris Packham. It comes as it sets a new fundraising target - so it can survive the coronavirus crisis. EXCLUSIVE "When coronavirus hit - I knew we would be in trouble" ‘Visitation’ is the Isle of Wight Zoo’s main source of income, according to the Wildheart Trust’s founder Charlotte Corney, and the lockdown - like for many - has put it under a huge financial strain. Earlier this month, in response to the pandemic, the Trust launched an SOS Appeal with an initial target of £50,000 - which it has now increased. Charlotte told Isle of Wight Radio the Zoo relies on “people coming through the door”. “We have to keep operating” The Trust's crowdfunding campaign has reached £45,000 - thanks to generous donations and the target has now increased from £50,000 to £75,000. Charlotte also says they "will probably have to stretch the target again". It's understood most of the Zoo's staff have been furloughed, however, a skeleton team still remains on-site. "Chris Packham will be with us remotely" Chris Packham will be joining staff later this week for a 'live show' which is expected to take place on Friday at 3pm and involve meerkats. There will be a live Q&A and competition for those who stream the show. It will all be confirmed later this week via the Wildheart Trust's social media pages. Meanwhile, we are being reminded the Zoo has a live webcam in the lion enclosure - Vigo and Kumba can be seen here - with a different activity taking place every day at 2pm. “A tiger tested positive “ Earlier this month a tiger at the Bronx Zoo, USA, tested positive for the deadly coronavirus - proving cats are susceptible to catching it. "We have got to be careful we are not passing it [coronavirus] on to them [the animals], with some there is more of a risk”, says Charlotte. She also stressed how unlikely it would be that animals at the Isle of Wight Zoo would test positive for coronavirus. "Sell 10,000 tickets to raise £100,000" The Trust has also launched a Sanctuary Saver Voucher scheme with tickets at £10 each, Charlotte told Isle of Wight Radio: “[By buying a ticket] you will help us out during the crisis, help keep everything going, keep animals safe. A lot of our animals are rescued and they have nowhere else to go - this is a last stop place for them to live. "...And when we do reopen you will be able to come in for the day. You can buy a Sanctuary Saver ticket here. If you want to donate to the Wildheart Trust's crowdfunding page, you can do so here. You can follow the Zoo via Facebook- @TheWildheartTrust or on Twitter @WildheartTrust
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