Oakland Zoo Reopens for the First Time Since March

The Oakland Zoo welcomed people back for the first time on Monday, after being closed since March.

To visit, guests now must book tickets online, in advance, for a specific time window. The zoo is also capping attendance at 2,500 people per day. Normally, the Oakland Zoo might see more than 7,000 a day during the summer, said zoo spokeswoman Erin Dogan Harrison.

Alameda County is on California's COVID-19 watch list, but was approved for a variance by the state — which allowed the zoo to reopen, according to Dogan Harrison.

The Oakland institution is implementing other measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including requiring anyone over the age of 3 to wear a mask and closing all indoor exhibits, restaurants and gift shops, Dogan Harrison said.

Employees will be roaming the grounds ensuring visitors wear masks, according to Dogan Harrison, and cleanings of high-touch surfaces will take place constantly, throughout the day.

"It's been a lonely place at the zoo without any people there. And animals like our giraffes and our primates and our otters and our grizzly bears, they like seeing people, it's enriching for them," Dogan Harrison said. "We're just really excited to finally be able to reopen and welcome people back and give people a safe place to enjoy themselves at."

The zoo also hired additional janitorial staff and are increasing employees hours.

Guests will also be asked to observe big cat exhibits at a further distance than usual, since they are particularly susceptible to COVID-19.

— Hannah Hagemann (@hannah_hagemann)