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Wild Ireland reopens to the public
29.06.20
THE Wild Ireland Animal
Sanctuary, a business unlike most in Inishowen, is
located in a small pocket of woodland at Dundrain in
Burnfoot. As founder Killian McLaughlin explains
"many animals such as wolves, lynx, bears and wild
boar were common in Ireland many years ago,
something many people aren’t aware of". Through the
efforts of Wild Ireland, these animals are now
residing back in familiar terrain in Inishowen.
When Wild Ireland was forced to close due to the
pandemic in March, it didn’t work like other
businesses. "We simply weren’t able to turn off the
lights and close our doors. We had to operate as
normal, minus visitors, which involved cleaning,
watering and feeding animals as normal. Bears for
example consume over €500 of fresh fruit and veg
every week", explains Killian. |
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Bears enjoying the animal sanctuary
experience. Wild Ireland is now open again to the
public. Visit
www.wildireland.org . |
Wild Ireland needed
assistance and another Donegal business, Feedpods
were just the company to assist. Feedpods provide
solar powered robotic feeding systems, software
management and enrichment products.
The two innovators have come together to develop a
randomised feed and monitoring solution for animals
at Wild Ireland which can be operated and viewed
online. This innovation helps to enhance the
animals’ routine, providing stimulation through
scattered feed times, as it would be in the wild. In
addition it reduces the need for personal contact
which prevents the spread of COVID-19 from humans to
animals.
A spokesperson for Feedpods said ‘to be able to work
with Killian and Wild Ireland through the Local
Enterprise Office Donegal scheme was fantastic.
Through this innovation, the animals, such as bears
and monkeys are able to be cared for and monitored
remotely 24/7 by Killian and the team at Wild
Ireland.’’
New challenges undoubtedly exist for reopening Wild
Ireland with social distancing and minimising crowd
congregation, which will result in a new one-way
system and online bookings only.
Killian believes now more than ever it is important
for the tourism sector to work together and pre
pandemic Wild Ireland teamed up with local hotels in
Inishowen to offer guests Wild Ireland getaway
packages. He is now encouraging "everyone within the
sector to work together. The greater the collective
offering we can provide in Donegal, the greater the
tourist experience will be and that will ultimately
drive sustainable tourism recovery and growth".
Wild Ireland is now open again to the public. If you
wish to find out more or book a ticket please visit
www.wildireland.org . |
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