2 drowning ZooAmerica bison euthanized in Hershey, PA

[LynneSin]

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/09/2_zooamerica_bison_drowning_in.html


2 drowning ZooAmerica bison euthanized in Hershey

Two bison who lived at ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park in Hershey were shot on Wednesday because they were drowning and could not be rescued as Tropical Storm Lee inundated Derry Twp., officials said.


The staff put the zoo evacuation plan into effect and began to move animals in danger spots to other Hershey Entertainment & Resorts property, including the Giant Center, Hersheypark, Hersheypark Stadium and Hersheypark Arena.


ZooAmerica is home to more than 200 animals representing more than 60 North American species.

The flood waters rose very quickly in the area occupied by two bison, said Mindy Bianca, Hershey spokeswoman. The bison weigh about 2,000 pounds each and stand about six feet tall.

I can't believe someone wasn't watching to make sure the water didn't get too high in that pen. Those 2 bison didn't have to die :cry:

[Bertha Venation]

1. angry, bitter words are all that I can think

:cry:

[LynneSin]

3. How can you not have a plan to save these animals

It so pisses me off.

Sure, floods are pretty rare in Central PA especially one with the amount of water they are getting right now - this is Hurricane Agnes levels. You'd think someone's job would be to create a disaster recovery plan for various things that could impact these animals including flood.

The water is already muddied from all the rain they've been getting since Irene. They should have had someone monitoring those Bison constantly and paying attention to the weather report. There is no excuse for these beautiful animals drowning.

[hamsterjill]

2. Okay, admittedly a dumb question here, but

Why couldn't they let them out? I mean, YES, this is extraordinary circumstances and I'm sure no one wants a 2000 pound beast somewhere other than it's intended pen, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

[LynneSin]

4. Many of the animals are being moved to the Giant Center next to Hersheypark

There aren't too many big animals in the park - this is a park geared towards animals found only in the United States (hence ZooAmerica). Bison are not lightweights and the grounds are just saturated from all the rain they've been getting since Irene.

Someone should have made a plan on how to get those animals out of their pens. If the grounds were muddy then keep them inside on concrete ground until plans are made as to where they can be moved.

fyi - giant center is an arena that is covered.

[hamsterjill]

5. Oh, yes, there should have been a plan!

And a backup plan, and a backup of the backup.

[grntuscarora]

6. I'm horrified, too, but

the word on the local news is that the staff spent hours trying to move the stranded bison, but they wouldn't co-operate. It's difficult to coax and manipulate animals that large, especially in extreme conditions. I don't have all the details, but there's a chance that the workers did their best and just couldn't pull it off.

I'll be reading the news updates carefully.

[LynneSin]

7. I think they still waited to long plus

Couldn't they just have tranquilized them and then lifted them out of there?

[grntuscarora]

8. Yes,

it's hard to figure.
According to local reports I heard, the animal caregivers at the zoo were sobbing at the loss of the animals. I have a feeling some bean-counting, know-nothing executive in a Hershey Zoo office somewhere is responsible for waiting too long to greenlight an evacuation.
I hope that executive's head ROLLS!!