National Reptile Zoo to move to larger premises near Kilkenny city
THE National Reptile Zoo, one of county Kilkenny’s most popular attractions, is moving to a larger facility closer to the city-centre in the Autumn, it was revealed today.
The zoo, which suffered a serious setback earlier this year after a fire broke out at the Gowran zoo, announced is expansion plans after it secured a €40,000 loan through Linked Finance.
The National Reptile Zoo is a labour of love for founder and director James Hennessy.
Established in 2016, the zoo is home to 200 animals and 50 different species including alligators, six-foot-long Monitor lizards, rattle snakes, cobras and poison dart frogs.
James showcases the wonderful creatures for others to experience and learn about the reptiles in the Kilkenny-based visitor centre. The visitor centre has managed to blend conservation, education and exploration of all thing’s reptile into a thriving business.
Both visitor numbers and reptile numbers are steadily increasing, with over 30,000 visitors to the zoo in 2018. The loan will facilitate the growth and expansion of the business and until opening in Autumn it is business as usual in the existing zoo.
To support the increasing growth and business expansion, James required access to fast and affordable source of funding.
James said: “Applying to the Linked Finance platform was a great experience for us. We could never have imagined how quick and hassle-free P2P finance could be. Within 24 hours our loan was evaluated and funded by Linked Finance’s lenders. Working with the platform was effortless. I would recommend them to any SME with plans for growth.”
