Dublin Zoo takes €625k hit on abandoned plans for new restaurant

THE OPERATOR OF Dublin Zoo has recorded a €625,000 impairment charge after ‘mothballing’ plans for a new restaurant proposed for the African Plains area of the zoo.

The €625,000 impairment charge contributed to the operator of Dublin Zoo and Fota Wildlife Park in Cork, the Zoological Society of Ireland recording an operating loss of €1.45 million last year.

In the Society’s 2025 annual report, the directors state that adverse weather conditions and economic pressures affecting visitor behaviour contributed to lower visitor numbers at Dublin Zoo and Fota Wildlife Park in 2025, where gate receipt income declined from €17.7 million to €16.68 million.

On the €625,000 impairment charge concerning its ‘Deferred Catering Development Project’, the directors state that the Society secured planning permission for the restaurant for the African Plains area of the Zoo and the Board approved the project proceeding to tender stage.

They state that however, “following a reassessment of trading performance, economic conditions and very substantial construction cost inflation in the intervening period of project planning, the Board decided to defer the project indefinitely and instead consider incremental enhancements to existing catering facilities”.

The directors state that the Board “may revisit the project at a future date should economic and operating conditions improve”.

The directors state that the €625,000 provision “has been made in the financial statements for all project costs incurred to date”.

Overall, the directors state that 2025 “was a challenging and operationally complex year for the Group”.

They state that trading performance “was impacted by adverse weather conditions, economic pressures affecting visitor behaviour and the temporary closure of Fota Wildlife Park following an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza”.

Numbers attending Dublin Zoo, including Wild Lights, reduced by 10% from 1.16 million to 1.04 million while numbers attending Fota Wildlife Park reduced from 428,745 to 408,453.

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Along with gate receipt income declining by 6% to €16.68 million, shop income decreased from €3.79 million to €3.36 million and annual pass income declined from €2.9 million to €2.7 million.

However, overall revenues rose from €25.9 million to €26.3 million as ‘Other Operating Income’ more than doubled to €3.57 million that included €700,000 in emergency funding from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) for Fota Wildlife Park in response to its enforced temporary closure.

Dublin Zoo was this year closed for Friday, 11 September and Saturday 12 September arising from security measures in connection with the visit of US President, Donald Trump.

A Dublin Zoo spokesman said today using seasonal averages, “we estimate a potential loss of around 5,000 visitors over the two days of closure”.

The spokesman was unable to provide a financial cost arising from the two-day closure.

On the 2025 performance the spokesman said that “welcoming more than 1m visitors in what was a challenging year, with difficult weather conditions and pressures across the wider leisure sector, demonstrates the enduring appeal of Dublin Zoo and the experiences it offers families throughout the year”.

The spokesman said that at this point, Dublin Zoo expects visitor numbers for 2026 to be broadly in line with last year.

He said: “However, predictions before year-end are always difficult given the Zoo’s dependence on weather, seasonal trading and other external factors.”

In the annual report, the directors state that “while trading conditions remain uncertain, the Board remains confident in the long-term strategic position of both Dublin Zoo and Fota Wildlife Park and in the continued importance of their conservation, education and public engagement missions”.

The operating loss of €1.45 million last year takes account of non-cash depreciation costs of €4.57 million.

The Society generated cash from its operations of €3.42 million in 2025.

Numbers employed remained at 208 as staff costs rose from €8.9 million to €9.6 million. Pay to key management personnel rose from €8.99 million to €9.67 million.