SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Zoo has reopened after major flooding forced it to close on Tuesday. But now, they need your help!
Heavy rainfall led to significant flooding both inside and outside of the zoo.
The zoo says that "the intense rainfall led to N. St. Mary’s Street closing, several parking lots under inches of water, and severe flooding in Brackenridge Park, which caused the San Antonio River to overflow its banks and back up into the zoo through a historic acequia and other drainage channels."
Office spaces, the zoo's training room, gift shops, restrooms and pathways at the zoo were all covered in several inches of water.
Even the viewing area for Timothy the Hippo was impacted by the heavy rainfall.
The workers at the zoo worked really hard to make sure all of the animals were safe and attempt to limit the damage, but they ended up having to close for the day. This caused a major loss of revenue which hit the zoo hard because they rely entirely on folks visiting the zoo as well as donations for their operations and animal care.
“It was a challenging day at San Antonio Zoo, to say the least, with all of the rain and area flooding,” said Tim Morrow, President & CEO of San Antonio Zoo. “While we were closed for the day, our dedicated and passionate team spent the day taking care of the animals and working to protect the zoo from flood damage. Unfortunately, being closed, we lost some significant attendance and much needed revenue. San Antonio Zoo depends 100% on visitation and donations to operate and care for the animals.”
The cleanup of the mud and debris will be an ongoing effort which has caused a burden for the zoo.
The San Antonio Zoo encourages their supporters and the community to help out by making a donation now.
You can contribute through their annual fund or by purchasing a membership or ticket to visit the zoo.
The zoo says they appreciate your ongoing support and they are looking forward to welcoming you back for a visit.
