Flamingos In The Men's Room: How Zoos And Aquariums Handle Hurricanes.
When you're building a zoo disaster plan, there's one thing to keep in mind: Murphy's law. Anything that could go wrong, will.
Just ask the flock of flamingos that weathered Hurricane Andrew in a public restroom at Zoo Miami in 1992.
Or, you could ask the zoo personnel across the coast who've been running emergency drills since the start of hurricane season.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which represents more than 230 animal care facilities in the U.S. and abroad, requires all of its members to practice an annual disaster preparedness drill to keep their accreditation. And many facilities review or update their protocols every year, including Zoo Miami, which is now buckling down as Hurricane Irma approaches Florida.
The skeleton of a zoo disaster plan is similar across the board: Staff members remove loose debris from the park, tarps and signs are taken down, generators and gas tanks are prepped. Cleaning supplies and food for animals and staff are stockpiled in advance — basically anything the zoo can prepare to operate without any outside assistance.
Facilities will also often choose members of a ride-out crew: select facilities staff, animal nutritionists and other key team members who will bunker down at the zoo through the storm. Lee Ehmke, CEO of the Houston Zoo, says 15 team members stayed on the first night of Hurricane Harvey last month.
"We were sleeping here at the zoo, on cots or on the floor," he says. "We prepared food so everyone was fed ... There was a lot of radio and Internet communication to make sure the right diets were given to the animals."
http://www.npr.org/2017/09/07/548981618/flamingos-in-the-men-s-room-how-zoos-and-aquariums-handle-hurricanes?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20170907
= new reply since forum marked as read
I cut it out & have it somewhere, that was Andrew, Aug 1992
