Sad news out of Florida today as many zoo’s have been forced to admit that many animals will have to “Ride it out” and be left exposed to the ferocity of Category 5 record breaking Hurricane Irma.
It is feared that many animals could lose their lives in winds of up to 170 Mph and storm surges of up to 12ft.
Preparations to house the animals in to temporary shelters began days ago with many of them moved to “appropriate locations” earlier this week.
Some of the animals accommodation was built to withstand hurricane force winds but there is little anybody can do when forced to deal with a monster Category 5 storm such as Irma.
Such is their devotion many Zookeepers will remain with the animals during the Hurricane and will not leave their side. Provisions have been made to support the animals for up to 10 days and officials hope that the work done so far will be enough to save most of the zoo’s animals.
Zoo officials hope to have learned lessons from Hurricane Andrew that hit Florida nearly a quarter of a century ago and left many animals dead and missing in it’s aftermath.
We wish them all the best and pay tribute to the zoo keepers selfless bravery.
