A popular petting zoo in Gaoth Dobhair has been forced to close for almost a week due to flash flooding.
Errigal View Pet Zoo, located behind An Chúirt Hotel in Gaoth Dobhair, was hit by torrents of water after heavy downpours on Tuesday last.
Here a video showing the extent of the flooding on Saturday:
Video via Errigal View Pet Zoo
The flooding ripped through the farm and swept away the main paths, forcing the owners to close for the last weekend of the summer. They hope to clear the debris and divert the water in time to reopen this weekend, but losing a week of business has hit them hard.
Owner Connie Gallagher told Donegal Daily how the frightening events unfolded on Tuesday night:
“It happened in the middle of the night. I had to rush out and release the animals. They are all completely safe, but if I hadn’t got out to them I don’t know what would have happened.
“We’ve been here for four years and I’ve never seen anything like it. It was a flash flood, just a washout.”
While the flooding has eased off, Mr Gallagher said he has been working with the assistance of An Chuirt Hotel and a local plant hire firm to repair the damage.
“We’ve diverted the overflow and we have another drain set up now,” he said.
“All the pathways are destroyed. You couldn’t walk the farm. It has to be all refurbished. I’m trying to get it all repaired before the end of the season now.”
Established in 2015, the Errigal View Pet Zoo is a family-friendly destination with a variety of animals along with an indoor play area. The farm proudly welcomed a newborn llama on August 24th.
But a difficult summer followed by the flooding is putting serious pressure on the business.
Mr Gallagher said: “Between Brexit, bad weather and a bad season, we need to get open for a couple of weekends in September to survive. We are a non-funded farm. Everything that goes into it comes from our pockets.
“We don’t know what will happen next year. The insurance is a beast on its own.
“If it hadn’t been one thing against us, it’s everything. And the weather is still against us as we clear up. There is no guarantee we won’t get another washout.”
Mr Gallagher said he is 90% hopeful that the farm will be reopened by the weekend of 7th September and they will be looking forward to welcoming guests to see the animals and enjoy the many activities on offer.
He advised families to keep an eye on the Facebook page for updates: https://www.facebook.com/Errigal-View-Pet-Zoo-1773168876248368/
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