14 DAY TRIAL // Those who have some change to spare – mind you, quite a lot of it – can become the proud owners of a zoo, animals, visitor center and even a café included. Thus, news from the United Kingdom says that the Blackbrook Zoo near Leek in Staffordshire is now for sale at a price of £350,000 (€425,077 / $585,284).
To put things into perspective, it must be said that, for the time being, the run-off-the-mill house in London has a price tag of about £603,000 (€732,347 / $1,008,360), so from this standpoint, the Blackbrook Zoo is pretty much a bargain. Daily Mail reports that the zoo covers an area of about 40 acres (roughly 16.2 hectares), and is presently home to representatives of hundreds of different animal species.
More precisely, it would appear that over 200 types of birds presently call this facility their home. The Blackbrook Zoo also accommodates for 32 species of lizards and snakes, and penguins and meerkats can also be found within its premises.
Although the animals do not belong to the zoo per se, but to third-party owners, the latter are said to be more than willing to allow them to remain at the facility, provided that somebody assumes the task of looking after them.
The same source tells us that the zoo's current owners have decided to sell it because the facility does not receive all that many visitors on a regular basis, hence the fact that it has been forced to go into administration.
Truth be told, sharing such information with the public does not sound like a very inspired marketing strategy, but one has to appreciate the honesty.
Talking to the press, agent John Hinson wished to stress the fact that, although the zoo's previous owners have failed to make a profit by running it, there is no reason why the people who choose to buy the facility could not turn it into an attractive tourist attraction.
“It really has great potential. The site is in pretty good condition and only needs a few upgrades here and there and the retail and commercial opportunities are huge,” he said.
Furthermore, “It is quite an usual sale but we have already had interest from three series parties. It has been a zoo for so long it is a great site to take on and we hope to see it thriving again soon with the right owner.”
Hopefully, the zoo will get a new set of owners sooner rather than later.