The 86-year-old Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown is facing a $200,000 budget crisis and is asking for an emergency grant.
The zoo is reaching out for funding from multiple sources, and if nothing is received, it’s expected to close by the end of the year, reported The Mercury. The cutback from state and private funding along with less consumer spending took the biggest tolls on the budget.
Bill Konstant, the zoo’s executive director, has tried to cut back every which way he can, including reducing wages, staffing and frozen retirement contributions, said The Mercury. Possible solutions discussed between officials were to put a surcharge on zoo tickets or come through with a loan.
The zoo has been a staple to the Norristown community, as it was founded in 1924 and has been expanding ever since.
