A BUSINESS owner concerned about the animals at Colchester Zoo has raised £1,000 for the attraction.

Jennie Campbell, who runs JC Aerial School, was left devastated after hearing some zoos may have to euthanise animals due to the cost of lockdown.

At Colchester Zoo, which was closed for more than ten weeks, it costs £25,000 a day to feed all the animals.

Jennie, who has run her business for ten years, decided to organise an eight hour poleathon.

It saw people who attend her classes take part in the event to raise much needed cash for the zoo.

Jennie,42, said: “We had someone on the pole continuously for eight hours.

“We had 20 of us take part and all who are part of the school.

“We started at 11am and finished at 7pm.”

Jennie, from Colchester, made sure the event was safe by using two poles and cleaning down each one after use.

She added: “It felt like the right thing to do. It costs so much to run the zoo each day.

“When I heard some places may euthanise the animals I just though ‘I can’t have that’.

“We did our bit and had some fun.”

The business, based in Moorside, Colchester, has been able to keep open during lockdown.

Jennie is offering outdoor session of her classes which include pole and aerial hoop classes.

“We have been quite lucky as we have an outside area and even if it rains we can still hold classes,” she said.

Jennie handed over the cheque to the zoo which opened last month after the Government ease some lockdown restrictions.

The majority of Colchester Zoo is open air and is open to visitors, but some enclosures remain shut.

New safety measures include a socially distanced walking route and hygiene stations in place.

Visitors must also book online before arrival and the number of places are limited.

The zoo has warned of a “huge” number redundancies in the coming months as it battles to survive with reduced income.