Global Wildlife Center; Jackson, Birmingham, Baton Rouge Zoos OK
September 5, 2005 Update
The American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) reports that the Jackson zoo, Birmingham zoo, Montgomery Zoo, and Baton Rouge Zoo came through Hurricane Katrina with relatively little damage. None of the facilties lost staff or animals and most of the damage was limited to fallen trees.
Power has been restored at the Montgomery Zoo and the Baton Rouge Zoo.
The Baton Rouge Zoo is assisting the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, which itself suffered little damage but is still working to raise funds to help with the recovery effort. The American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) has set up a online donation site at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. Funds raised will be distributed by the Executive Committee of the AZA Board of Directors.
The Global Wildlife Center in Folsom, Louisiana, home to over 3,000 exotic, endangered, and threatened animals from all over the world, posted the following on their web site on Saturday September 3, 2005: “Global Wildlife will remain closed to the public until further notice. All of our animals are doing great and we only had minor damage from falling trees. However due to the lack of electricity and fuel in the area; we are unable to open back up to the public at this time. If you wish to make a donation, please click here.
The Marinelife Oceanarium in Gulfport, Miss., suffered major storm damage to the building and injuries to some animals, though full details are not available. Of the facility’s 14 dolphins, 6 were moved to two hotel swimming pools and have since been transferred to the Gulfarium, an aquarium in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. The other 8 dolphins were swept away by the storm surge. Of these, one baby dolphin was rescued from a muddy pool in a nearby golf course and was later transferred to Panama City, Fla. according to a report from ABC News. The fate of the other 7 dolphins is unknown as of the morning of September 5th. 15 of the Oceanarium’s sea lions were lost during the storm, although 9 of these have been recovered. These are now at Sea World in Orlando.
HOW TO HELP THE ZOO
If you want to help in any way, please visit http://www.lpzoo.org
Other ways to help animals in New Orleans
- North Shore Animal League — (877) 4savepet
- Humane Society of America — (888) 259-5431
- ASPCA — (866) 275-3923
If you have further information on the condition of the aquarium and related facilities, please contact me
Other resources:
- Personal account of hurricane destruction along Mississippi Gulf Coast: The following is an eyewitness account of hurricane destruction along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Included is information on plans to provide pro bono services from out of state lawyers to the storm victims, many of whom will need assistance in dealing with insurance companies, relief bureaucracies, and possibly personal or small business bankruptcies in the aftermath of the storm .
- New Orleans Aquarium and Zoo to be Closed for a Year: Despite escaping Hurricane Katrina with little physical damage, the Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans has suffered significant loss of life among its animals.
- NASA releases satellite photos showing flooded New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina: NASA released satellite photos showing destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. The images, available on NASA’s Earth Observatory web site clearly show significant parts of the city inundated with flood water.
- Environmental problems worsened Hurricane Katrina’s impact: The loss of coastal marshlands that buffer New Orleans from flooding and storm surges may have worsened the impact of Hurricane Katrina.
- Aerial photos of Hurricane Katrina destruction: NOAA posted online more than 1450 aerial images of the U.S. Gulf Coast areas that were decimated by Hurricane Katrina.
- County updates