BOSTON -- Sunshine brought a surge of visitors to the Franklin Park Zoo on Saturday, but the attendance bump was bittersweet for zoo officials searching for a way to keep the facility open.

Zoo New England representatives said they will run out of money within months and have to close both Franklin Park and the Stone Zoo in Stoneham without new funding. They blamed the closure threat on Gov. Deval Patrick, who slashed funding for the two facilities from $6.5 million to $2.5 million to combat a massive budget deficit.

The zoos would be forced to lay off most of their 165 employees and attempt to find new homes for more than 1,000 animals if Patrick’s veto is not overturned.

Zoo officials estimated 20 percent of the animals would not find homes. They said the state would have to euthanize the animals or care for them in private facilities if the zoos close.

Despite the current fiscal crunch, attendance at the two zoos is up 9 percent this year. Many of the visitors who stopped by Franklin Park on Saturday were dismayed at the prospect of losing the zoo.

“It’s a huge tourist attraction,” said Diedre Manning, of West Roxbury. “It’s a great neighborhood gem.”

Ingrid and Jason Li, of Connecticut, said the zoo is a comforting getaway for their family while their 4-year-old daughter undergoes cancer treatments at Children’s Hospital.

“It's the only place that you can come,” said Jason Li. “It's family, it's outdoors; kids can come out, have some fun and forget about what's going on.”

Patrick administration officials said that they are facing tough choices in tight economic times.

“At the end of the day, we only have so much money that we can spend and it's about trying to preserve the integrity of core services, public safety, education, health, the social safety net programs,” said Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray.

State officials are collaborating with zoo workers to ensure the “health and well-being” of the animals housed at the zoo, according to a statement from Patrick’s office.

The Franklin Park Zoo was founded in 1913. It is funded by state money, private donations and revenue from the attractions.