Visitors and elected officials tour The Living Desert, the park open with new measures in place
Visitors returned to The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens on Monday for the first time in nearly three months.
“Families have been looking for something to do well now they’ve got it,” said Sabby Jonathan, councilmember, City of Palm Desert.
It cost the park an astonishing $22,000 a day to maintain the animals and their habitats while shut down. “Unlike many businesses that can just close the doors and turn off the lights...we have a really strong commitment to the health and welfare of our animals. So it required that we kept most of the animal care staff and all of our veterinarians here to make sure our animals are healthy and well taken care of,” said Allen Monroe, President and CEO of the Living Desert.
The park reopened at 7 a.m. Monday morning to excited visitors of all ages. Dozens of elected officials also toured the park Monday and voiced their support of its return.
“It’s great that there’s a valleywide continuity to support this living desert. I think the Living Desert is a gem here in the valley,” said Dennis Woods, councilmember, City of Palm Springs.
The park has new protective measures in place: limiting the number of people inside at one time and encouraging visitors to buy tickets now online. Additionally, face covering are required for everyone older than the age of three and visitors will now notice the park has social distancing markers on the ground.
