5 animals killed at Wild Animal Safari in Sunday’s twister, hundreds of timber down as cleanup continues Revealed 4:01 pm Friday, March 31, 2023
The Wild Animal Safari in Pine Mountain is usually a joyous place stuffed with individuals of all ages. Each jiffy, you possibly can normally hear the hilarious scream of somebody who obtained animal slobber on their palms or the stunned response of somebody who didn’t anticipate a zebra or giraffe to come back proper as much as their window.
And, with Spring Break about to start in Troup County, this could normally be the busiest week of your entire yr for the vacationer attraction, which brings in a bit of over 200,000 friends per yr.
As a substitute, the sounds of laughter are changed by chainsaws, welding gear and building autos, all a part of clean-up efforts after an EF-3 twister hit the park Sunday inflicting hundreds of timber to fall and leading to important injury to buildings, fences and enclosures.
“Principally, our complete walkabout, there’s not a single exhibit that was untouched,” mentioned zoo director Katie Harrison.
There are 2,000 to three,000 timber down, in line with Mark Whitfield, govt vp of Parks America, who owns the Wild Animal Safari and two related parks in Missouri and Texas. 5 animals — a brand new guinea singing canine, capybara, peacock, miniature zebu and fallow deer — have been killed in Sunday’s storm.
Harrison, who has been the zoo director for 10 years, will get choked up speaking concerning the animals that didn’t survive.
“I can’t discuss it an excessive amount of or I’m going to cry,” she mentioned at a press convention Friday. “… That is my delight and pleasure. My residence.”
One other handful of animals acquired minor accidents, Harrison mentioned. A veterinarian from Zoo Atlanta got here down following the storm to assist deal with the animals.
Zoo Atlanta Spokesperson Rachel Davis mentioned a crew from Zoo Atlanta went to the safari Sunday, together with representatives from the zoo’s animal care, amenities, horticulture, and veterinary groups.
“Our groups assisted in guaranteeing that animal areas have been safe, assisted with downed timber, and helped put together animal diets,” Davis mentioned.
The animal safari turned a nationwide matter Sunday after two tigers escaped their enclosures when the storm got here by. Each tigers have been discovered inside a couple of hours — each throughout the confines of the park. And each — particularly a white Bengal tiger and a liger — have been secure.
“My crew knew what to do. They have been totally educated on it. They obtained everyone tranquilized and again the place they wanted to go,” Harrison mentioned. “They by no means left the property. I’m so, so pleased with my crew.”
Harrison mentioned she was planning to go to the animal safari after the twister warning expired round 7:30 a.m. Sunday. As a substitute, she acquired a name urging her to get to the park shortly.
“We had any person right here on web site, who known as me and mentioned ‘that you must get right here now,” Harrison mentioned.
The one employees member who was on the park rode out the storm underneath a small area, close to the place the walkabout space begins.
The aftermath of the storm was timber down in all places, animals that wanted to be moved briefly to their sister park in Missouri and quite a lot of work to get reopened.
“It truthfully may’ve been quite a bit worse,” Harrison mentioned, wanting over the broken property.
The park hopes to reopen in early April, although no particular date is thought but with a lot cleanup left underway.
“[Spring break] is actually our busiest week of the entire yr yearly, so we’re taking an enormous hit there,” Harrison mentioned. “However we’ve obtained to do what we now have to do to maintain the general public and the animals secure. That’s our prime precedence.”
Whitfield in contrast not being open for Spring Break to the cancellation of a significant occasion.
“Think about the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade the place an occasion occurred the place you couldn’t have the parade,” he mentioned.
Nonetheless, he mentioned the Wild Animal Safari just isn’t going to be deterred by this storm and can rebuild.
“The spring break at any park at any zoo at any Wild Animal Safari Park typically is a really, very busy time to the park and, and for us, it’s one of many busiest weeks of the yr. So the monetary impression is critical and substantial,” Whitfield mentioned. “However Parks America, the guardian firm, and Wild Animal Safari, we’re on this enterprise for the lengthy haul, we’re on this group for the lengthy haul. We’ve been right here for 30 years and a twister just isn’t going to chase us out.”
Within the aftermath of the storm, PETA issued a press release calling for the escaped tigers to go to an animal sanctuary.
“Wild Animal Safari’s lengthy historical past of leaving enclosures in disrepair and its obvious unwillingness to plan for a pure catastrophe made the escape of harmful tigers inevitable,” mentioned PETA Basis Director of Captive Animal Welfare Debbie Metzler. “Earlier than this roadside zoo dangers the general public’s and large cats’ lives once more, PETA is asking for the feds to crack down on the shady safari and for the animals to go to respected sanctuaries that know easy methods to give them the care they want and put together for the worst.”
Whitfield mentioned he had not seen the PETA assertion, however he mentioned the Wild Animal Safari takes excellent care of its animals.
“Our parks, a few weeks previous to this, you already know simply handed one other USDA inspection. We handed it with flying colours,” he mentioned. “We take care of our animals higher than anyone. Our animals are very a lot properly fed by us and all of the vitamins and that we give them after which by our friends. Our animals are very properly cared for. When you’ve gotten a class three twister with a direct hit, you already know, look what occurred to houses and companies throughout this nice state of Georgia. Nothing can stand up to that.”
Harrison and Whitfield thanked Callaway Gardens and different Pine Mountain neighbors for serving to with cleanup efforts. Callaway Gardens additionally fed the safari employees earlier this week.
She urged anybody who needs to assist to proceed supporting the safari.
“Simply hold supporting us. Maintain sending these constructive vibes,” she mentioned. “That helps our crew. Simply to see everyone who cares and loves us a lot. Maintain sending the love. That’s what we want proper now.”