The Zoos

[WaryEye]

I was watching TWC last night and they were doing a piece about the animals in zoos throughout Florida.

As upset and emotional as I am about the welfare of the people in Florida I was just as angry to see the disruption to the poor animals who have had to be kept in extremely small cages while their individual areas were cleaned up and debris removed. It sounded trivial at first but the pics showed tons of debris. Its sad to see them have to be caged... its unfair and the tiger they showed seemed pi**ed pacing back and forth.

A hurricane affects so many things from the living to the land to the economy... I think that many take this for granted at times.

[msbee]

such a good point and such a thoughtful post.
Very little is ever said about the animals.
It is so hard on them.
We have a small zoo here. during hurricanes the animals are kept in their night shelters, small concrete structures..These are fine for sleeping but not so fine for staying in all day long or even worse, 2 days as the case might be.
It is however, all zoos can do. The animals must be kept safe and that is the only way to do it. Forutnately our zoo has only small animals....no lions or tigers..those poor guys must be so stressed out.
and unfortunately we here in our little zoo have saved our animals from the
storm but have sometimes had one or two of the animals die after, probably from stress.
If people can have heart atatcks during hurricanes, so can animals, I guess.
It's not a pretty picture!

[Stephanie]

I was watching TWC last night and they were doing a piece about the animals in zoos throughout Florida.

As upset and emotional as I am about the welfare of the people in Florida I was just as angry to see the disruption to the poor animals who have had to be kept in extremely small cages while their individual areas were cleaned up and debris removed. It sounded trivial at first but the pics showed tons of debris. Its sad to see them have to be caged... its unfair and the tiger they showed seemed pi**ed pacing back and forth.

A hurricane affects so many things from the living to the land to the economy... I think that many take this for granted at times.

I was wondering about the animals in the various zoos. They all must be so agitated and frightened!!

[Carolina_survivor]

We have a small local zoo about 30 miles from my home. After Hurricane Floyd, when the flood waters started rising, the people running the zoo realized the zoo would be flooded. They saved as many animals as they could but some they couldn't manage. Those they were unable to move they set free, so at least the animals had a fighting chance (no lions, tigers or bears there).

One animal in particular, an ostrich, was set free. The zoo owner, out of concern for the animal, put one of those bright yellow ponchos across the ostrich's back to keep him from getting drenched. Then she let him go.

A few hours later and a few blocks away, the local tv station was interviewing an elderly lady.

She was quite upset and was saying, "I've seen lots of storms but never one like this! I just saw an ostrich run by my house... and he was wearing a raincoat!"

This is a true story, I swear. The sad part is, many of those animals (included the ostrich) did not make it.

[Guest]

poor birds an animals. they should have animal shelters.

[Terry]

We still have around 20 dogs in the Polk County CHARLEY emergency pet shelter. The rest of dogs and kitties have found their owners, been fostered or adopted or sent to other shelters. (20 went in two Winnebagos this am to a shelter in NY state!)

The toll on the animals and the children of FL is really a concern.

[chicagopizza]

I always wondered about that but was afraid to ask.

Speaking of animals, I have a stupid question. I was surprised to learn that shelters don't take pets. Even on a leash. For those of us whose pets are family, what is the reasoning behind this?

[latemodel25]

That is a sad story! Have you head anything about wnc having mud slides floods etc? We have property in waynesville and are concerened? Seems like weird weather all over the country. very strange!

[MBryant]

such a good point and such a thoughtful post.
Very little is ever said about the animals.
It is so hard on them.
We have a small zoo here. during hurricanes the animals are kept in their night shelters, small concrete structures..These are fine for sleeping but not so fine for staying in all day long or even worse, 2 days as the case might be.
It is however, all zoos can do. The animals must be kept safe and that is the only way to do it. Forutnately our zoo has only small animals....no lions or tigers..those poor guys must be so stressed out.
and unfortunately we here in our little zoo have saved our animals from the
storm but have sometimes had one or two of the animals die after, probably from stress.
If people can have heart atatcks during hurricanes, so can animals, I guess.
It's not a pretty picture!

Please keep in mind that animals in the wild often seek caves and burrows which are very confining naturally when in the wild durring bad weather, so it may not be as "confining" and "emotionally devistating" to the animals as it appears to the animal lovers.

[Stephanie]

I always wondered about that but was afraid to ask.

Speaking of animals, I have a stupid question. I was surprised to learn that shelters don't take pets. Even on a leash. For those of us whose pets are family, what is the reasoning behind this?

SOME shelters are becoming more "pet friendly". It is pretty much for health reasons. I have a post at the top about pet friendly hotels.

Terry - were these animals found and brought to the shelter after the storm?

[Carolina_survivor]

That is a sad story! Have you head anything about wnc having mud slides floods etc? We have property in waynesville and are concerened? Seems like weird weather all over the country. very strange!

Yes, I've heard about some bad flooding in the western nc mountains. It's from Frances (see guys, it made it here after all, lol)

Here's the advisory on the flooding from weather underground:


Tropical Depression Frances Advisory Number 59

Statement as of 11:00 am EDT on September 08, 2004

...Tropical Depression Frances exiting the southern
Appalachians....

...Potential for serious flooding continues over the upper Ohio
Valley and central Appalachians...

Flash flood warnings are in effect for portions of the north
Carolinas...eastern Kentucky...West Virginia...western
Virginia...and northeastern New Jersey. Flood watches are in
effect for portions of the southeast...along The Spine of the
Appalachians...and portions of the lower Great Lakes from
northeastern Florida to portions of eastern Georgia...south
carolinia...central and western north carolinia...central and
western Virginia...portions of northeast Tennessee...West
Virginia...Maryland...eastern Kentucky...eastern Ohio...most of
Pennsylvania... central and western New York state. The Storm
Prediction Center has issued a Tornado Watch for central North
Carolina...and south central Virginia valid thru
2 PM or 18 z.

At 11 am EDT...15z...the center of Tropical Depression Frances
was located near latitude 36.1 north longitude 82.9 west or 50
miles to the east-northeast of Knoxville Tennessee. Maximum
sustained winds are 15 mph with some higher gusts. Minimum central
pressure is 1000 mb or 29.53 inches. Frances has been moving
north-northeastward at approximately 15 mph. Frances is forecast
to be over West Virginia by tonight moving to the New
York/Pennsylvania border by Thursday morning as it becomes an
extra-tropical low pressure system. The remnants of Frances will
accelerate to the north-northeast to the New York/Canada border by
Thursday night and will be well into northeast Canada by Friday
morning.

Selected 36 hour rainfall amounts in inches thru 8 am edt:


location storm total

North Carolina...

Robinson creek10.63
conneste fall10.06
Bearwallow tower9.24
clear creek8.95
Jonas bridge8.91
MT. Mitchell8.82
highlands8.24
Beaverdam creek8.24
linville8.00
Balsam grove7.75



rest of it at http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/at ... ublic.html

[latemodel25]

thank you for all the info! I have been so wrapped up in all this hurricane stuff I havent paid much attention to that area. That is gods country up there. I love it! I cant wait to go in october for a little change of season. I just hope all this hurricane business starts to slow down a little!