New Orleans Zoo Animals Weather Storm...very interesting story

[AnnInLa]

Most New Orleans zoo animals weather storm




NEW ORLEANS – Audubon Zoo curator Dan Maloney feared the worst as he searched for the zoo’s waterfowl following Hurricane Katrina.


snip

Borrowing on the experience of other zoos, the zoo staff had decided to leave the waterfowl out in the open aviary during the storm. Those birds tend to flail about when confined inside bathrooms or closets and often die at a higher rate than they would if left in the open.

snip
The Audubon Institute, one of the nation’s great zoos, did lose some animals -- they've been too busy feeding the survivors to take a census – but almost all made it through. The casualties included two sea otters that were moved from their normal environment to different waters and died from stress during the days after the storm.


He and a skeleton crew rode out the storm to feed and water the animals.



The zoo building itself also came through relatively unscathed. A flowerbed near the entrance was eerily in full bloom, with no signs of the Category 3 winds that had blown through the area.






“We were very lucky,” Maloney said again, referring to both his staff and the zoo’s animals. “We’re going to be fine.”

http://www.acadiananow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050905/NEWS05/

[DarthDem]

1. That's Awesome

Please, no replies saying that this is insignificant compared to the human suffering, et cetera; I'm just reacting to this story, not making comparisons.

It's very nice to hear good news like this. I feel for those helpless animals, and the fact that the zoo emerged relatively unscathed is a good sign for the eventual rebuilding of the city, in whatever form that might take.

[aquart]

2. Link isn't working for me.

Wahhhhhhhh!

[AnnInLa]

3. I must have cut off part of it...sorry! Try this one.

the whole story is SO interesting

http://www.acadiananow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050905/NEWS05/50905009

[MH1]

4. Thanks so much.

I needed some good news.

[barb162]

5. wonderful; I kept worrying about the animals

and I know millions of animals died in this storm