Animal fans will be hoping they can visit their favourite Kent zoos from Monday after they were added to the list of what could reopen.

Zoos had been given June 5 as a potential reopening date having been shut when the coronavirus lockdown began in March but a last-minute rethink saw their hopes dashed.

There was a national outcry from park bosses, MPs and supporters who pleaded for the policy to be reviewed.

Many warned that the delay could put the survival of animal parks at risk.

A spokesman for Wildwood, near Herne Bay, said: "We still don’t understand why it took all this pressure for the Government to acknowledge that many zoos could open safely and that the work we do simply doesn’t allow us to just shut down and wait it out.

"We always prioritise our animals and their care and would not put on hold the important conservation work to carry out.

"We want to thank all the people and the MPs who have supported us though this."

Wildwood says it is ready to reopen on Monday, with a range of measures in place to keep visitors safe.

They include an online timed ticket system to limit numbers, extra toilets and a one-way system.

More guidance on what is expected of zoos when they reopen is due to be published on Saturday, the spokesman added.

Markus Wilder, who runs Wingham Wildlife Park, near Canterbury, said he was excited to be reopening on Monday.

"This is something which we have been waiting for and as such we are all ready to open.

"We have got a lot of crowd barriers and signs which we had started to put out already and now just need moving back into place.

"We have put a lot of thought into making sure people can practice social distancing and have left ourselves a lot of room which we can still grow into.

"To begin with, as we and our visitors get used to the new ways of doing things, we were more concerned about ensuring we can enforce social distancing where this could have become more of a challenge, but by giving people time slots they have to book, we feel we have managed to crack that potential issue."

Mr Wilder said fundraising would continue to help pay the bills until visitor numbers can increase again.

He added: "We have had a huge amount of support over the past couple of months and we can’t thank our supporters enough.

"We’re going to be feeling the pinch from this for a long time still."

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Bosses at the Aspinall Foundation - which runs Howletts, near Canterbury, and Port Lympne in Hythe - have now also confirmed the parks will be welcoming back visitors on Monday.

A spokesman had previously warned: "The longer we are forced to keep our gates closed, the more our debt mounts and the more precarious our situation becomes," a spokesman warned.

It has still been advertising short breaks at its hotel and reserve at Port Lympne from August 1, .

Not all zoos will be ready by Monday. The Fenn Bell Inn Zoo, based at a pub in Hoo, near Rochester, is aiming for June 29 as there is still work to do.

Boss Andy Cowell: "It's been hell, absolute hell. We had been looking forward to a really good year. We had a fantastic January and doubled the figures from the year before.

"But February was horrendous with the storms, which was a nightmare.

"We went into March and couldn't believe the Covid-19 thing was going to come along and kick us but on Mother's Day it really hit us and we had no income.

"I remember saying it could be six weeks and we'll be cracking on planning to have a good summer. I didn't think for one minute we'd be sitting here 12-and-a-half weeks later still being a couple of weeks away from being able to open."

Mr Cowell said he was excited but also nervous about reopening.

"There's obviously a massive buzz from people to be open, but we have to be prepared and ready.

"It is going to be different and it's not going to be a case of sling your doors open and do what you did three months ago.

"It's going to have to be a lot more organised with safety measures and social distancing."

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