Staff at Dublin Zoo are preparing to welcome back visitors after the Government announced the reopening of outdoor attractions on 26 April.
This includes zoos, open pet farms and heritage sites, but amusement parks are not permitted to reopen at the end of next month.
Dublin Zoo Director Dr Christoph Schwitzer said lobbying for the sector paid off after the attraction has been closed for three quarters of the past year due to Covid-19.
The survival of the zoo has been dependent on the public after it had to fundraise to get the animals through winter, with no income coming in due to the pandemic.