Sir, - Last Sunday, I decided to take a long overdue visit to Dublin Zoo. The entrance fee of £7.50 I thought was very steep but assumed the much-publicised renovations inside would make it money well spent. My anticipation very quickly dissipated to sheer disappoint.
Many of the older cages lay empty and overgrown - I am assuming the cages were empty unless the animals were hidden by the unkempt grass!
The new African Plains area was little more than a building site. Any enclosures that did have animals in them were only half finished, overgrown and extremely poorly laid out.
The bottom of the sea-lions' pool is now so black and dirty that seals become invisible once in the water. The litter throughout the whole zoo is a disgrace. Then, to top it all off, I spot an adult feeding some raccoons popcorn and a banana skin despite six signs to the contrary. I understand Dublin Zoo cannot be blamed for the sheer stupidity of some people, but why haven't these cages been upgraded enough to stop these obtuse people in their tracks.
Come on Dublin Zoo - you can do better than this, if you start a job don't you think you'd better finish it? - Yours, etc.,
Julie Bell, Greystones, Co Wicklow.