Photo by Jared Olson.
Overnight Duluth Minnesota was hit by severe flooding, reaping havoc on surrounding areas, creating a tragedy at the Lake Superior Zoo.
Zoo marketing director Holly Henry told msnbc.com, ”We have 11 confirmed dead animals, most of them barnyard animals,” ”Two thirds of the zoo is under water.”
The floods in Northeastern Minnesota are so bad that Duluth Mayor Don Ness says he plans to declare state of emergency because of the flooding.
Up to 8 inches of rain fell on the area overnight and the soaking continued Wednesday. The flooding is so bad that the University of Minnesota Duluth had to be closed, and almost all of the homes on the St Louis River have been evacuated.
Zoo Spokeswomen Keely Johnson said “The female bear was darted by the zoo’s veterinarian and is safe in quarantine. None of the zoo’s dangerous animals got outside the perimeter fence,” Johnson said.
The Polar Bear did get out of its pen but was later found, along with the Seal which was found on Grand Avenue.
The hardest hit area of the zoo was the barnyard where all but one of the animals died, including the goats, and Donkey.
