Tasmania Zoo owner Rochelle Penney has drawn inspiration from her late father Dick Warren to get the operation through its toughest period since it opened in 2003.
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The second anniversary of Mr Warren's death was on Thursday.
She said his legacy had been a desire to bring to kids a childhood and love of animals that he never experienced.
Ms Penney said the closure of Tasmania Zoo to visitors in March because of coronavirus had been difficult.
"I have been spending my savings to feed and care for the animals and have almost got to the stage where I have spent nearly all my savings," she said.
A change in fortunes may not be too far way with Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries Jonathon Duniam saying that funds from the federal government's $94 million zoos support package are set to be available to Tasmania Zoo by the end of next week.
"Tasmania Zoo is one of eight zoos and wildlife parks across Tasmania who are being supported through the coronavirus crisis with the support package," he said.
"Tasmania Zoo, like others, have been battling against a dramatic cessation of revenue as visitors stopped coming while still facing the high cost of keeping animals and wildlife.
"This will be a lifeline to ensure that great experiences like Tasmania Zoo can still operate on the other side of this crisis and play a big role in helping our state's tourism industry to recover."
Tasmania Zoo's application for funding was received by Austrade on May 26.
Under the process, a dedicated grant assessor would be appointed to work closely with each zoo's owner.
Senator Duniam said funding would be backdated to April 1 and be available for up to six months. Ms Penney said she was still unsure how much support would be.
Ms Penney said one of the most difficult issues was not knowing when the borders will be reopened and when the Zoo would be able to reopen.
"At the moment it looks like mid-July but it is very unclear what the spacing will be or what other requirements there will be," she said.
Ms Penney said the Zoo had made enormous progress over the past two years.
"We have imported six new species, many of which are critically endangered including the Cotton Top and golden lion tamarins, white-cheeked gibbons, cheetahs, caracals, red panda and two Sumatran tigers," she said.
Tasmania Zoo has also bred 40 Tasmanian devils and introduced bilbies to Tasmania.
"The devils were one of Dad's passions and we found that our devils had unique genetics that were extinct in the wild," she said.
"We have developed an insurance program with a whole new gene pool."
Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
